


Can't Catch This

by Rizaru



Series: Catching You [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dark, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Fighting for Future, Hermione Granger is a Good Friend, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Humor, M/M, Minor Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Smut, Some sort of AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-02 04:39:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 53,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13310751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rizaru/pseuds/Rizaru
Summary: Draco knows what he has to do to keep alive. Fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes. But with Harry Potter suddenly jumping on him one evening, it all starts crashing down. Can he fool the Darkest wizard of all time and keep alive in the recesses of war, to possibly jump the annoying Potter himself? Or has the Dark Lord something.. other.. planned out for Draco?Refers partly to part 1 of Catching You





	1. Fighting Fate

**Author's Note:**

> Adviceable (that's not a word, is it?) to read the earlier ones in Catching You. It's not a must, though.
> 
> This will have at least 5 chapters, posted daily if nothing serious happens.
> 
> This starts with Harry POV but Draco will have the way with words more later.
> 
> P.S. I'm a failure in making up summaries. EDIT: I might've finally gotten it right!! Only try #4 :D
> 
> Thank You for reading, hope you enjoy.
> 
> Riza xx

 

Music simply made for this chapter: Blindfold by Sleeping Wolf.

It enraptured me. I recommend, highly so.

 

Harry fidgeted by the slightly ajar door to the Room of Requirement.

He’d scurried out the common room as soon as he’d seen Malfoy’s dot move to there not five minutes earlier, going by the Gryffindor Tower, which was their unofficial cue for a meeting. They'd never discussed it, but they both knew the other knew.

Harry hadn’t thought of anything then - just taken his Invisibility Cloak, wand and ran off immediately, not minding about Ron probably seeing and the _look_ Hermione had given him. He did, however, have a uncomfortable feeling about that look. But Hermione wouldn’t possibly know what he was doing, now could she? Definitely not. But then Harry thought to the conversation he’d had with her a few days ago, which was also the last time he’d seen Malfoy and that specific meeting was the reason he had been so surprised, so immensely happy and glad Malfoy had gone today to their room.

But now he couldn’t seem able to open a damn door - that was already open!

Harry rubbed his face and sighed.

That thing in the boy’s bathroom.. It hadn’t gone that well at all.

Harry wanted to snort and groan at the same time. He almost killing Malfoy was hardly a feat well done.

He could still feel the cold dread bite at his insides, squirm around, making the feeling at home. That feeling, that uncomfortable coldness, was partly the reason he’d done that _other_ thing, too.

Harry wanted to groan again and perhaps bury himself underground, make himself unavailable, maybe then he’d stop doing stupid things.

Or he could go down to the Chamber of Secrets and rot there along with the Basilisk he'd actually killed - and no one would never find him there, him being the only parseltongue alive, if one didn't count Voldemort. But Harry doubted _he'd_ go down to slimy tunnels just to kill some time.

That.. Harry suddenly thought, was quite a brilliant idea.

But then he deflated again.

He wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t.

He still had his lessons with Dumbledore and detentions with Snape. And a certain Dark Lord left to vanquish.

So no rotting in Slytherin Chambers.

His thoughts reeled back to Hermione’s horrified look when he told her of almost killing Malfoy. It wasn’t like her to be that worried about the blonde git, sure she was kind and wanted no harm done to anyone, but there had been something else, too, like she couldn’t believe Harry’d actually done that. Well, news flash, Harry couldn’t believe it himself either.

He pushed the door open with the power of feelings rising from his encounter with Hermione that day, she'd been adamant on Harry getting rid of his Potions book and for some reason, apologizing to Malfoy. Well, the latter he'd do with pleasure, once he got there.

It was the same old room, divan, fireplace and even that godforsaken poker there waiting for him to trip.

And Malfoy, sitting there like usual, watching the flames flicker and burn.

He turned when the door opened, silver eyes staring at him, unfathomable in their boundlessness.

“So you and Weaslette?” was his form of ‘hello’.

Harry flinched. Yeah, that _other_ thing he’d done. He’d gone and kissed Ginny. While having this thing with Malfoy. Not one of his best moments.

“It was a spur of a moment thing, you know”, Harry mumbled and tousled his hair in annoyance.

He went closer, to stand right where he had that first time, watching Malfoy wanking, only to now watch Malfoy’s unreadable expression. Harry didn’t like it one bit. Was he mad or furious or sad or what? Just show it on your face like I do! he wanted to advise, but kept the words at bay.

“Are you okay?” he asked instead and looked down, biting his lip at the same time, too.

He was ashamed, anyone would be in his shoes right now, he knew.

When Malfoy didn’t answer, Harry chanced a look at him. The blonde was still staring at him with that same infuriating emptiness on his face. Harry could see the outline of a silvery scar on his pale skin and swallowed. _He’d done that to him_ .

“I was of the impression you wouldn’t care”, the blonde said slowly, their eye contact never breaking off.

“I do!” Harry all but yelled, indignated, “I wasn’t the one who greeted me with a hex right from the get go! I even told you so then, before firing one of my own, but did you listen? No!”

His temper roared up at Malfoy all the time. Same with Malfoy’s, apparently. Otherwise their ‘little’ dueling in the bathroom would have never happened, really..

“Well I’m sorry I was a completely caught off guard and slightly out of my mind too! What did you expect me to do when I’m half expecting the Dark Lord to bounce on me for not finishing his task!” Malfoy snapped and reclined his back stiffly against the pillows, turning his eyes defiantly to the flames.

“So you’re alright?” Harry asked again, wanting relief to the coldness dancing in his veins in so similar fashion as the hot flames did in Malfoy’s eyes as they stared ahead, unseeing. Harry absentmindedly wondered would Malfoy’s touch warm him up like flames catching fire in their intensity.

He hoped they-

“I am”, Malfoy’s annoyed huff stopped his mind and their eyes locket again, “Are you sitting down or are you going to stand there all day?”

Harry obediently sat down.

A silence settled between them - both minds working on same and different topics, but neither wanting to voice them.

“I didn’t think you would come”, Malfoy finally stated quietly, looking to the flames again.

“Because of Ginny?” Harry asked bile rising in his throat. The blonde simply nodded.

“I’m here, though, not off kissing her”, Harry meant for it to be a joke, and maybe in some level it did what it was meant to do, when Malfoy’s eyes snapped to his and his lip rose into a nasty sneer.

Harry bristled, it had been a while since he’d last seen that one.

“Did she like your kiss, Potter, _Harry?_ The one _I_ taught you how to do?” a quiet and impossibly low voice asked and Harry felt lost in feelings so contradicting it hurt his mind to just think.

And he hadn’t thought, alright, not at all!

How could he know when all he’d wanted was for that frozen feeling lodged deep in his chest to melt, even momentarily. And Ginny was funny and fiesty and beautiful, no doubt, course he’d noticed! He’d be blind not to see, for God’s sake! And she wanted him. People wouldn’t mind them being together - okay, well Dean and Romilda might but who cared?

Harry and Draco on the other hand.. Few would give their consent, the first of them being _Voldemort,_ who wanted to use them and then kill them.

“I’ve no idea”, Harry said quietly, “I wasn’t really thinking about her.”

Malfoy raised a sculpted eyebrow at that, clearly not expecting those words.

“What did you think of then, Potter? If not the pretty witch kissing you?” he asked and Harry noted a dark edge in it he’d come to familiarize himself with only here, in these moments in the eye of the storm they were alone with no one to judge, threaten, kill or laugh at them.

“I was cold”, Harry admitted quietly, “and she was burning. So I was a moth to a flame.”

He shrugged. There were two of them here, they’d have to work together for once, he reckoned.

“Why were you cold?” Malfoy’s voice was barely a whisper, Harry could taste the anxiety there, the want to have the answer that appealed to him.

“You were hurt”, Harry said, almost choking on the words, “And I’d done that. I’d almost..”

They both knew what he left unsaid. He’d almost killed Draco. If not for Snape and Myrtle. Harry wanted to thank them, but it would raise suspicion, so he did not.

Harry knew there was a desperate plea in his eyes as he looked into Malfoy’s silvery eyes but he couldn’t, wouldn’t, hide it. Not now. Draco sighed softly and a small smile crept onto his face before he grabbed Harry’s arm and tucked him flush against his body, eliciting a small yelp from Harry's lips in surprise.

“I get it now. I’m too fabulous for you so you went a bit mad and kissed a redhead”, he said a smirk in his voice and Harry laughed despite himself.

He also blushed. They’d never been like this before, laying side by side, one of Draco’s arms wrapped lightly around him and Harry's head resting on his shoulder. Because he was Draco now, too, when he did something like this. A warm tickle traveled from his heart upwards, melting the ice as it went. Harry felt warm for the first time in days.

“I don’t have to be mad to kiss a redhead”, Harry countered and laughed a bit again, “It’s called being a healthy teenage boy.”

Now Malfoy laughed despite himself and Harry smiled warmly at the sound. It would be okay now; they would be okay.

“Poor excuse, Potter - I don’t believe you”, he contradicted and tilted his chin to look at Harry with sparkling silvery eyes.

“Well alright, alright”, Harry laughed and looked to the flames now himself, “I think I might have liked her earlier this year, so it was almost natural when she has been so open with me this year. I know she’s liked me since forever, so it wasn’t about that either. And she’s free, you know? No need to hide. I guess I wanted to try something like that.”

"Earlier? As in past form? Quite a heartbreaker you are, Potter, to kiss girls you don't like anymore", Malfoy asked and poked him in the ribs, making Harry flinch.

"Well it's not my fault, y-" but he left it at. Because it was untrodden territory, something deeply forbidden to even as much as mention.

They fell silent and only lay there for many minutes, both minds definitely wandering to those foreign lands.

“And all we do is hide”, Malfoy finally stated resignedly.

“I get it, I do, hell I’d have to be daft not to. And.. I doubt we’ll have much time left.”

Harry became worried by that final statement.

“What do you mean? What do you mean by that!?” He asked frantically, raising up to stare at Malfoy, hard. He met his gaze but there was hurt there, dread and fear as well as resignation.

“You know what I mean”, he only said and closed his eyes, wanting to hide from the world for a while, his face turning to a pained mask.

“So you got it done, whatever you were doing” Harry flatly said.

“It was inevitable. Maybe now I’ll get to live a few months more, at least. _He_ would have it done even without me, anyway.” Malfoy said and tried relaxing his tensed muscles.

“No more depressing talk. It feels like that’s what we only ever do nowadays”, he said then and brushed some blonde hair out of his eyes.

Harry tried pushing the uncomfortable feelings out of the way and smiled, the pain of this possibly being one of the last times they could have eating at his heart.

“Sure, who’d want depressing when you could have me?” he said laughingly and Draco smirked, pinching his cheek teasingly.

“The trouble that is Harry Potter, What a delectable thing, I could eat you up right now”, he said in a rare mood for soft bantering and proceeded to do just that, eating him up. Their lips met and softly tasted each other, much more fragile than they’d ever kissed. Harry opened his mouth willingly for once and he felt Draco shift a bit, surprised by it. He followed with the silent invitation  nonetheless and slipped his warm tongue in to meet Harry’s in a languid and eased battle from which they surfaced breathing raggedly.

“What’s with that Potter? You’re almost.. submissive..” Draco asked and lifted half lidded silvery eyes to search his green ones for answers.

Harry blushed, being asked that so bluntly. He took every bit of Gryffindor courage and said: “Maybe I am. Maybe I want you to take me.”

And his eyes met Draco’s burning with certainty. He knew that desire to be true. He wanted to have this moment between them. Draco searched his face silently for a while, rubbing Harry’s back while he did in lazy circles that brought warmth to Harry’s whole being.

“No”, he finally said with finality deeply edged into his voice. Harry blinked, baffled. That's not how this was supposed to go, but Draco's next words brought clarity that yes, this was how it would go.

“I can see what you’re doing there, Potter, you’re leaving me.” He said and Harry felt the earlier conviction slip away.

“I don’t take that well. So no. I’m not doing you”, Malfoy said and forced Harry to meet his strangely hard and almost angry gaze.

“Instead, I’ll leave you _empty_ , pining after me even if you stay with that Weaslette. **_Always_** thinking how I’d feel inside of you.”

He kissed Harry, penetrating his mouth with his tongue like he owned it.

“Thinking how  _good_  I’d make you feel”, he gripped Harry’s arse tight, “because it _would_ . I’d make you _scream_ Potter.”

Another searing kiss on his lips and Harry wanted to cry for losing out on what Draco promised him, because only hearing it made him feel heavenly, panting with want and his erection seeping precum painfully.

“I’d make you _delirious_ in ecstasy.”

was whispered softly into his ear and Harry met fragile silvery eyes staring deep into his.

“Make you _completely_ enraptured in me”,

he said against his lips, never once breaking his eyes away.

“But I won’t”

he said and leaned back, hurt shining in the depths of silver,

“Not when you’re planning on leaving me. So we’ll just do what we always do.”

There was finality in that voice, one that wanted Harry to make it go away. So when Draco reached down to touch him, he pushed away, staring down at the blonde stubbornly.

“No”, he bit out.

Draco’s expression twitched.

“No?” he forced out.

“I don’t think you have much say in the matter, Potter. Not when we’ve been frotting the whole year and suddenly _she just comes and takes you away!_ I don’t do well with that, Potter, didn’t I already say so?”

Malfoy all but growled before taking a strong hold of Harry.

“You’re my fucking normalcy Potter! Are you going to take that away from me, too?” the end was but a shaky whisper, so sad it tore at Harry’s heart.

“What else have I taken from you?” he asked, taking hold of those words, wanting to know, wanting this conversation to go on, because he knew now that it would be the last they’d have, perhaps for a long while.

“My reason. My sanity”, Draco stated like he was talking of food, not his mentality,

"Because why else would I still see you here, with _him_ out there only waiting to delve into my thoughts brutally and finding about you, about what we’re doing. And then he’d kill me, or unreasonably use me to get you - but that would be stupid. Because you would never bare your feisty Gryffin fangs for me.”

His words channeled such certainty in what he’d said Harry had to fight of the feeling of trusting them without objections. Because he had objections. Important objecions.

“I would”, he admitted and rested his hand on Draco’s cheek, stilling the face that was about to hide away from him.

“I would bare my fangs for you.”

Draco stared into his green eyes like he didn’t believe him, silver eyes wide open in shock.

Harry kissed him on the lips and stated again: “I would.”

Draco still stared at him like his spirit left him, so Harry repeated it a few more times, to make him see, to make him understand Harry _would_ do it for him. Kiss after kiss, promise after promise, until finally..

Finally Draco snapped out of it and stilled Harry’s mouth with his hands, Harry noted they trembled a little.

“Thank you”, the boy only said and looked so much younger than they were, so much more pure.

Harry cracked a smile so like him and said: “No problem.”

Draco’s lips curved at that, but they spoke no more, the only words between them that of touches. Caresses along their bodies, searching for something and never quite finding it. Kisses along the jaw, on earlobes and necks, marking as theirs with invisible labels that read their names, so no one would ever know, no one would ever hurt them.

And they frotted, like Draco had so severely named it such.

Feeling each others flesh against theirs and committing it to memory, so they could remember it for days past. Harry’s hands holding their twisting flesh, Draco’s outlining his, and switching again so they could touch something more, too.

They had no hurry now, only kisses, touches and time. Time to feel. Harry couldn’t even remember that cold feeling that had seeped into his bones, it was but a distant memory with Draco’s heat against him, encircling him in his arms, tugging closer until they almost were one and the same. But they never quite were. Because Draco kept hold of his words: he’d make Harry wait. And Harry punished him for that. With surprise bites and nicks that earned him gasps and swats to stop. He didn’t. He kept on giving them when Draco least expected it, his green eyes shining with pride at his own antics.

Draco’s silver eyes knitted, before Harry caught a small flicker of something that made his breath hitch and the sensations all the more potent.

There was a desperation to their hands, now, tightly grasping the other for a resemblance of an anchor. A fiery tug on their hearts trying to beat frantically for the other, so close while so far away.

"Same as always", Draco suddenly said and held Harry's head in his hands. His eyes searched something in Harry's.

"Same as always", Harry whispered and brought his face closer to Draco's, feeling long sleek fingers so finely framing his face, shyly he touched his nose to Draco's before lifting his eyes to meet his again.

Emotions left unsaid caught fire between green and silver, burning with a light so bright it almost made them blind. So many were the secrets between them, wanting to be told. But they both knew they could not do that, it wasn't for them, for this moment to uncover the unbound fragility within them. So they only touched, like they knew it all already, like it was to be ingrained in them by the mere memory of this touch of Draco against Harry, of Harry against Draco. So feverish they were, so desperate, yet so slowly it built, holding the time forcibly in their grasp before it all fell out, making the inevitable happen. For it had to come to and end. Nothing lasts forever, they knew.

And finally the ending came, as it always did, too early.

For a few minutes more they would have liked to taste each other, steal a couple more handfuls of flesh, but the unbending wave crashed over them and took them mercilessly within. Crashing and burning until they were a depleted mess on the divan, laying on top of each other.

Eyes closed, wanting to feel that emptiness and contradicting fulfillment for a bit more, tangled with each other.

“I’m sorry”, Draco whispered as the last warmth had subsided from the air around, only the fire to gift them bits and pieces of warmth.

Harry didn’t need to ask why he was apologized to.

He’d find it out sooner or later. He hoped to God it would be later.

 

Harry shut his eyes tight and only listened; to Draco’s breathing next to his; he felt, how Draco’s chest went up and down, followed by those breaths he heard.

 

He twined his fingers with the blondes and hoped, _prayed_ that perhaps it would all come to be okay, that Fate was not fighting against them.

 

Draco grasped Harry’s hand in his and didn’t let go until they went back to their respective beds, one up the other down, one light the other dark.

 

Such a contradiction they were, such perfection in imperfection.

 

Harry wouldn't know was that wish futile or not, not until it was time for the ending, or hopefully beginning.

 

He could only hope, and keep on fighting.

 

_Fighting till the end._

 

 


	2. Demons at the Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter name from Sleeping Wolf's song by the same name.
> 
> I'm not going to recount canon happenings as I'm sure we all know what happens anyway. Otherwise this wouldn't be only 5 chapters long, lol.
> 
> Thank you for reading,
> 
> Riza xx

 

Hermione sat, once again, in the Gryffindor common room. Only this time Harry sat beside her, staring at the same page on his Potions essay for ten minutes already. Something was wrong with him, she knew.

How could she not know, while being the only living soul knowing his secret?

Harry hadn't been the same after his run-along with Malfoy in the bathroom that almost killed the Slytherin.

Hermione swirled her quill in her fingers, her mind picturing different scenarios that could have happened between the boys in the bathroom and later on, because she'd asked Harry to apologize - that couldn't seem too conspicuous, right? She hoped. And Harry had told her he'd done it. but that's where the problem started. He was never the same after that. Mind always somewhere else and Hermione could clearly see the worry lines on his forehead. Something had happened when he'd apologized - and that something was crucial. Hermione knew Malfoy was up to no good in the school, knew that for a certainty now - and so did Harry. So it grated on their nerves ever more now that they could do nothing to stop it, because what was there to stop?

What was he doing?

No one knew, but Malfoy.

And that was their problem.

Apparently it was something that forced them apart, since Harry hadn't run off to anywhere for many nights now - he hardly looked to Ginny, either, only when it was sort of inevitable and did so very halfheartedly.

Suddenly, Hermione felt her mind go override, and she bristled.

This was enough!

She wouldn't stand for this any longer!

The good thing was, Ron was back in business again, but the bad thing was he was still Ron. No heart-to-hearts from him. So Hermione turned to Harry, as it was currently only them two there doing homework late into the night.

"Harry", she started briskly and stalled, her mouth open - exactly what should she say again? Harry tensed up and dropped his books, so startled he was by the abrupt voice calling him. He turned to her with a guilty look.

"Did you say someting, 'Mione? I was a bit out of it", he asked and picked the book back up, but not opening it anymore.

Hermione met his gaze and decided. She would give her support, any way she could without giving out too much.

"Yes, there was, actually. I'll just be frank with you", she said and saw how his face shut down on her. Without giving anything out, it was indeed.

"You know I know you very well Harry. Don't even try to deny it. And I know there has been something bothering you this year, something more than what you've told us about - now, don't worry, I won't force it out of you. I just want you to know that whatever it is, I'll be there for you, always. You can tell me  _anything_ , and I'll listen and even go with you to kick asses if that's what must be done."

Harry actually laughed at her wording and shook his head, green eyes back to vivid again.

"Kick ass? Did you just say 'kick ass'? Who are you and what have you done to Hermione Granger?" he asked and ruffled her hair affectionately. Hermione smiled wryly at him.

"I'm the twin sister you never knew about, the one that goes around and reads fiction and fantasy instead of books on spells and wards and the like. Hermione's getting sacked right about now and sent to Australia", she said dryly and Harry only shook his head.

"Yeah.. right. Well tell her I miss my friend but I must admit I could use some fairy tale references sometimes."

"Certainly. Concerning what, if I may ask?" She asked hoping that maybe, maybe she would be of help.

"There's this thing that's been bothering me, true", Harry started and linked his hand in his lap and leaned forward.

"Are there any instances that the bad guys turn good and actually survive it without dying?"

Hermione sat back and studied him. So it was that.

"If they are the main character, mostly" she said carefully, joking a little with rather dry humor,

"But it's true usually those that are first 'bad', as you call it remain that until the end or die of unfortunate events that magnify their betrayal and understanding of what they should have done in the first place. But there are stories, where there are grey people among the bad, lurking there and doing something to keep alive - and what they do - that's just the thing the main character needed to vanquish the evil. Without them, one certain detail wouldn't have happened and the villain wouldn't have met his end. There are all kinds of characters, really. Everyone is their own piece in the game that is Fate. So there's no definite way to know until the Time has run out and the ending shows itself. Did I answer your question?"

Harry looked down and nodded his head slowly, obviously still thinking. Finally he looked up and grinned at her brilliantly.

"Yeah, you did. You're the best, Hermione, but don't tell that to Ron", Harry said and sat back up, some certainty coming back to is shoulders that relaxed against the back of the chair.

"Wouldn't cross my mind", she said and added, "I'm glad I was useful. Anything you need, Harry, anything."

He looked to her and was abashed a little at her honesty.

"Even if I wanted to run away to the Moon? To start living there to avoid Voldemort?" Harry asked, joking along to cover his embarrassment.

"The Moon?" she asked, laughing at the prospect, "Of course I would - but not without first studying all I could about emergency situations in space and how magic works there. I'm quite sure the laws aren't quite as same, because there isn't air and the gravity is a bit off, too. Maybe I should go check in the library-"

"Whoa, hold on to your horses!" Harry laughed, "We're not going there anytime soon, if ever. No need to prepare."

Hermione looked thoughtful and asked him, totally serious,

"Are you sure? What if Voldemort runs away to the Moon when he finds out you're after him?"

Harry's mouth twitched a millisecond before he burst out laughing.

"That image... Oh my, you're killing me.. Can you believe it - Voldemort, in the Moon? In a space suit and all, floating about.." Harry managed between laughs and Hermione had to admit it was quite an image she drafted up.

"That would be hilarious, maybe we should even hope that", she suggested and Harry finally settled down a little.

"Not gonna happen, though, is it? He'll never leave unless he's taken there by force." Hermione shook her head and looked to Harry affectionately.

"He wouldn't, such a sorry thing to us, to never see the Dark Lord in a space suit."

Harry grinned at her brightly and they returned back to their homework in easy silence that was still brimming with their laughter. Hermione was quite proud of herself, only one step left in her plan for the evening left to do.

Half an hour later Harry yawned and stretched before rising up.

"This is it for me - I couldn't keep awake even if someone kept my eyes forcibly open. Good night, 'Mione", he said and was about to walk away, when Hermione stopped him with a hand catching a hold of his arm.

"No, wait a bit Harry", she said and smiled at his questioning look. Without further prodding around, she hugged him firmly and said while doing so: "Thank you. For everything. For being my friend, for defending me always. For being  _you_. For doing selfless things like trying to vanquish evil Dark Lords even when you wouldn't have to - thank you, Harry."

Harry was quite baffled, by putting it simply, she could tell, because he'd frozen on the spot and kept opening and closing his mouth while blushing a little.

"It's.. It's really not that great, you know. I'm just being me", he said finally smiling a bit lopsided. Hermione laughed.

"And that's exactly what I thanked you of being, you know", she teased and Harry flushed even more.

"But even the Dark Lords thing.. It  _is_ my job - because who else could do it? There's even a prophecy telling that!"

Hermione gave him a pointed look and said: "I hope you realize how fragile branch of magic prophecies are - hardly any of them come true. And I've heard and read people say that they won't come true if you don't believe in them - but I see that is a futile attempt to veto to in this case, obviously."

Harry only smiled and ruffled his hair like he did when nervous or embarrassed.

"Yeah, well.. anything you say 'Mione. And - know that, I wouldn't know what to do without you - like you're the best, really you are."

And he smiled so warmly Hermione knew once again how good a friend she had and no matter what, it would be more than enough to get them over all the obstacles in the way.

"Thank you, Harry. It means the world to me. Now go on already, I wouldn't want to levitate you upstairs", she said and reminded him to go by pushing at his hand a little. Harry went, smiling a bit goofily and whelping behind his shoulder: "Night 'Mione!"

Hermione watched him go with a fond smile. She and her boys.. They would have much to do that was for certain. 

 

 

 

The next morning Harry walked to breakfast with Hermione, as they had slept a little longer than Ron had, staying up so late and all. He yawned and thought back to his talk with Hermione. So she did indeed know something was off.. but truthfully Harry had known she'd known. What could he ever keep from her? His only comfort was that she didn't know  _what_ it was that bothered him. He himself wasn't that sure either.

Sure it was Malfoy, but what part of him?

The secret?

That he would be apparently gone?

That they never talked exactly why they kept seeing each other?

Harry didn't even know if they had a relationship - hell, he didn't know were they still enemies! They possibly were, he  _was_ a Death Eater and planning something. But now Harry knew the git didn't want to do it, not really. And that he had a rather soft side if lead in a right way to let go for a while. Harry should know.

They both were still a bit sleepy, although Harry reckoned Hermione's quietness was because she was thinking about something important again. She was always doing that nowadays. Harry yawned again, which was probably a good thing, because he was suddenly grabbed by the arm and spun around a corner so fast his yelp for help was for vain because it got mixed up in his yawn.

Or it could be bad, too, because now no one heard him.

His thoughts stopped then, though, because lips devoured his own in that moment and a body pressed to his, making him back against a wall.

The kiss was a total surprise and Harry gasped, which let the invaders tongue slip in and start gliding around and twine into his - that's when Harry mind relaxed and he knew just who had grabbed him. He ran his hands up slim hips and held the body to his as his tongue danced on with the other, going from mouth to mouth, tasting something sweet, so he'd eaten already, Harry thought distractedly.

He carefully nipped the point of Malfoy's tongue and made him gasp in turn, part surprise, certainly, but partly something else, too. Harry smiled and leaned back a little, looking up into silver eyes, staring at him darkly. Hot breath huffed between them as they stared at each other, before Harry asked: "What was that for?"

Malfoy leaned down, because yes, he was taller and it irritated Harry to no end, and kissed him again, quite prudishly compared to the one earlier.

"An apology. I've been quite busy as have you, I know", he explained and Harry grinned wickedly.

"Oh, the great Malfoy knows my schedule? What an honor."

Malfoy answered to his grin/taunt with a similar set.

"It's too easy to know Potter", he drawled and dragged them a bit further into the shadows, "Snape's been glowing about you having detention every Saturday, You've got Quidditch practice at least twice a week and then some stuff with Dumbledore when you don't and then there's your homework - in short, you're busy everyday."

Malfoy grinned so victoriously Harry jabbed him in the side and got a gruff huff in return.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm busy, you're busy, we're busy - I get it okay", he said and shook his head in exasperation.

This was stopped when Malfoy went and kissed him again.

"Why was that for then?" he asked, only a bit breathily.

Malfoy grinned a certain amused glint in his eyes.

"You were being pissy, so I shut you up."

Harry took a step back in that.

"I was not!" he exclaimed, outraged, and Malfoy kissed him  _again_.

"Sure, you weren't. My bad." he said and laughed at Harry's infuriated expression.

"Insufferable git", Harry bit out venomously and turned to stalk away only to be stopped again.

This time he didn't get a kiss.

Only a warning.

"Keep yourself safe, Potter. And don't do anything  _too_ stupid. And win us the war if you can. There's plenty of people waiting for that, me included. I'll help all I can", Malfoy said lowly and very seriously. It was the most serious Harry had ever seen the blonde. He was almost grave. Harry could only nod and feel the dread fill him. So much settled on his shoulders. But he'd do it. He got Hermione and Ron with him. And Malfoy, if he could help.

Malfoy, who kissed him by surprise again.

This time it was slow and full of feeling, like those they'd shared in the Room of Requirement last time but even more finite - it was a goodbye.

"Go on, then. Best not we get seen together", Malfoy said with a halfway-there smirk and turned around and walked away, without once looking back.

Harry watched him go for a second, letting his breath catch and cheeks to settle down on not-red. It, whatever it was, was apparently coming very soon. Harry's brows furrowed. So much for that 'later'.

 

Once he got to the Gryffindor table, Harry noticed the long look Hermione gave him and grimaced. Right. Malfoy had abducted him while Hermione was there, walking in front of him. She couldn't have seen anything, certainly not? Harry sat down beside her and she quirked an eyebrow at him in question.

"I went to the bathroom", he gave an absentminded reason for disappearing so suddenly.

"Oh, and here I thought I saw a flash of green, or silver was it?" she said and gave him a pointed look. Harry hunched back and had an uncomfortable feeling.

"Must've been a Slytherin walking by", he said quite blankly, "Nothing to do with me going to the bathroom."

Hermione smiled then.

"Of course not." she said and the feeling intensified.

"I just wanted to make sure you were safe", she added and turned back to her food.

Those words froze Harry on the spot. That was what Malfoy had said to him, to keep safe. He turned to Hermione in a flash, that surprised Ron and Ginny eating opposite them, too, to look at them with similar furrows on their brows.

"What do you mean by that?" Harry all but growled, terror eating at him once the dread of his secret coming to light surfaced once again. Hermione turned to him so at ease it bristled him even more. But her words made it all go away again and Harry relaxed.

"I love you, Harry. Of course I want you to be safe. And you can't deny it's been dangerous resently, with all the uncertain factors throwing their pieces in."

Harry blanked and flashed her a tentative smile.

"Sorry 'Mione. I've been a bit off, lately. I love you, too", he said, trying to fix what his almost accusation had tore open. Hermione only smiled and set her hand on his shoulder.

"I know, Harry. And remember,  _anything_."

And they concentrted on the food in front of them again, Harry smiling at the warmth Hermione made him feel. He'd never want to let her go - he would surely get himself in imminent danger the minute he did.

Ron and Ginny stared at them in tense silence Harry and Hermione didn't even notice at first, before Ron's voice made them look up.

"You're strange", he declared, obviously upset at something, "What's with these declarations of love out of nowhere? I thought you were going out with  _my sister_."

Harry opened his mouth, outright baffled, but Hermione bet him to it: "He is. And why cannot I say how I feel? It's not like I don't love you, too. And Ginny of course."

Ron opened and closed his mouth in silence attempt to say something before he blushed so heavily his whole face was bright red. Harry smiled amused at his friends and chuckled to his pumpkin juice.

 

 

 

Draco walked the mostly empty corridors glad at the fact he could be alone. His mood was once again tense and simply _bad_.

He could still feel the touch of other lips on his own, warm and familiar. He wanted to make it go away, rub at it until only agitated flesh was left, prickling in pain. But he did not.

Draco hated how he felt about Potter.

It was not something he'd anticipated happening - and he blamed it all on Potter trailing him so.. obsessively and being so goddamn brash. It always left Draco with a plethora of feelings, most unwanted, should he say. Without Potter's antics and that first time meeting in the Room of Requirement, none of this would have happened. It would still be all good and well - or Draco as tense as always and dreading the future, but with no fluttering- NO. He would not go there.

Instead, he bit his lips, tasting peppermint and wanted to go back down and track Potter down again, but no, he would not do that either. Not even it was so worth it all to see the reactions Potter had for his words and actions. No. It was too close to the finality this was all approaching.

Steady steps took him to the Room of Requirement, but not the room he preferred going into with Potter. This one was much more vast and impressive - filled with objects of all kinds; books, mirrors, cabinets. His treasure, a cabinet also. A vanishing cabinet. And the other object he was yearning for. A pensieve. He stopped by it and looked to a lively silver liquid.

He hated how he felt about Potter because -  _how_ had it even come to be? He didn't know.

Certainly it wasn't straight from that first time the black haired wizard had been so eager to shut him up he'd  _kissed_ him. No it wasn't, Draco knew it. It wasn't those meetings after the first one either, those numerous occasions they'd been together and not hexed each other. It was somewhere in between it all, gradually caging his heart. Because a cage it was. A dreadful web vowed forcefully into his being and distracting _everything_.

He  _couldn't_  feel anything once his mission came to an end and  _he'd_ be there to either punish or reward Draco, without a doubt peering into his thoughts. He'd considered _obliviating_ himself but decided against it - too dangerous since he'd never attempted it before. The other spells and wordless incantations he'd come to master beautifully, though. Something to be proud of. As well as occlumens practice by dear aunty Bella. It wasn't enough to keep the world's most renowned legilimens out of his mind entirely but it was enough to perhaps, hopefully, guard this secret from him.

Draco would make sure of it.

He pointed his wand at his forehead and concentrated on those moments making his heart race and curiosity piqued. Of vivid green eyes full of life and mischief, stubbornly denying him. In his arms, warm and heavy. Laughing aloud. Panting with lust and gazing up at him. Trusting him. Telling he'd come for him, bare his fangs for him. Draco felt tears prickle his eyes and shut them, concentrating on all those memories, wanting them _out_ of his head.

A silvery spheare left his temple, floating over the pensieve and gradually mixing with the liquid with help from Draco's wand.

His mind buzzed, and felt empty. Those memories were still there, he knew, but they were so deep he'd not remember the details if not actively wanting to. It would have to be enough.

For his feelings.. he could do nothing.

They would stay and keep haunting him, making him fidgety. He'd wondered many times how unfair it was that memories could be taken but not emotions. They stayed. He couldn't rid himself of guilt, of fear, of love.

How easy it would have been to complete this task if that were the case.

How easy it would have been to murder Albus Dumbledore.

A deprecating smile lifted on pale lips. _E_ _asy_. No way. And that was the summit of his horror.

He was not supposed to even survive this - this was a punishment, a slow, impending death sentence. And the only one who could lift it was him, Draco Malfoy. He didn't want to be a useless sacrifice. So that's what he was going to do. Let the demons into Hogwarts to finish it with him. A punch of Death Eaters, lead by aunty Bella. He feared they would harm the students, but if he did it in the dead of night, no one would have to be hurt but the Headmaster. And that fate was sealed the moment the Dark Lord had voiced his wish to see the man dead. So definitely, there was no way for Draco to stop this he thought, trying to placate the feelings wrecking havoc inside his chest. Because Draco was no killer - he knew it, even the Dark Lord knew it. So he had to have help.

With a final stray thought that Potter would stay out that fateful night, Draco sealed the memories away from the pensieve and into a little glass bottle which he sealed with the most potent enchantments he knew.

It would have to be enough.

When there was nothing more to be done, it  _had_ to be enough.

That last kiss would have to last him until the ending came, whenever it finally did.

 

 

 

 Draco shivered profoundly from head to toe, and not just once but repeatedly.

The image of falling.. falling.. imprinted into his mind,

going on and on and on.

He'd tried to make that happen. He'd tried. Draco gasped.

How could he have even thought to actually go along with it?

The presumably eternal twinkle gone forever from blue eyes. And still, in the end, the man had still tried to  _save Draco_. But what did he expect him to do? Say that yes, sure, let's do that. And his mother would have perished, his father was in Azkaban - and everyone knew how safe a place that was.

Draco wouldn't save just himself, it just didn't go that way.

And then the decision was taken from him, by Snape, who was currently leading, or more like dragging him through rubble and curses flying overhead.

Draco looked up, feeling faint-headed, to the grave man right next to him, being the epitome of _calm_ , which Draco felt was a offence of sorts. How _could_ the man be calm of all things? After having done that?

 _Snape_ had killed Dumbledore.

Waltzed up, pointed his wand in an almost casual way and incantated the unforgivable.

Draco's mind was still up there, in that tower, the tallest tower in Hogwarts.

Seeing the flash of green and the sudden emptines, the lonely feeling of failure eating him up. Because he hadn't been the one to do it. So he was still plausible to die by _his_ hand.

A sudden, piercing growl yanked him violently from the tower, falling like his Headmaster had.

" ** _Snape!!"_**

He knew that voice but had never known it could carry so much hatred, so much venom. He turned to look and saw Harry running after looking murderous, murderous at Snape. Suddenly Draco was quite glad he hadn't done it after all. He wouldn't have imagined how he'd feel being the object of that destructive hatred when even witnessing it was so heartbreaking.

"SNAPE! Stop running you COWARD!" Harry yelled and tried hexing Snape, who hardly even glanced back, only steadily dragging Draco along while easily fending off the curses coming their way.

Draco watched on in strange fascination at it all, feeling out of his body, like he was just seeing it all happen, not being in any way accountable. But he was. In letting them in in the first place.

Harry and Snape growled something at each other, but Draco's mind was on another route, his gaze locked in that familiar face.

 

_Would this be the end?_

 

_Would this be the last time he spoke, was being partly yelled at, by Potter?_

 

 _I_ _t_ _couldn't be._

 

_He refused that._

 

Suddenly he remembered.

 

How could he have been so stupid as to not  _think_.

 

He was a _Malfoy_ , the heir of the most prestigious family.. previously at least. He had the brains to think, unlike Potter - most of the time. And he hadn't, not when the answer was so easy.

 

He felt another hard tug on his arm and saw Potter sprawling on the ground, looking shell shocked. 

 

 _How did that happen?_ His mind asked, but Draco wasted no time, he  _had_ no time.

 

He locked his gaze with Potter's and dropped something on the ground as they fled, with Snape forcing him along. 

 

_Take it, Potter. I have another one. Maybe it'll be useful._

 

He willed the words to reach the boy and he hoped they did, when green eyes suddenly sharpened and stared at the ground, at the last 'gift' Draco had left.

 

He could only hope Potter picked it up when Snape had them out of the wards and the horrid feeling of apparition twisted his insides into knots.

 

_To the Dark Lord's next, then.._

 

_He dreaded it already._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little teaser for good measure ;)
> 
>  
> 
> Draco himself knew it was a bad move, perhaps, but still he did it. Still he invited the beast in.
> 
> "Yes, My Lord", the words rolled off his tongue and Draco let the nefarious red devour him whole.


	3. Cold Skin, Red Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cold Skin - Seven Lions & Echos
> 
> Thank you for reading as always!
> 
> Please leave kudos and comment if you liked :)
> 
> Riza xx

 

The first thing Draco noticed after the disquieting sensation of apparating faded was darkness. It just.. was there.

Waiting.

Lingering in leisure around the grounds of a towering manor.

Malfoy Manor. His home.

The gardens around them were quiet. Only a sudden peacock waltzing along, not a threat on its existence made, which made it possible for it to stay so relaxed, uncaring. Draco was not uncaring, nor was he relaxed. Snape, still by his side, iron claw-like grip on his arm, led them to the stark double doors welcoming them  _home._  They did not let out the tiniest of noise, not in Malfoy Manor, not unless it was desired.

Draco looked on into the even darker Front Hall. He was home.

But it was not  _home_  when he could see a silhouette in the shadows, standing next to something long, strong, agile, twining around it like a lover. A giant, venomous snake. Not when  _he_  was there.

The Dark Lord turned to the newcomers and his red, red, eyes pierced into their beings, nailing them still. The doors slammed shut behind them, making Draco wince.

"Severus" a sharp, high pitched voice sounded like a whisper, "Draco. You're to tell me good news, I expect?"

He might have said it like that, but it was a  _must_  to bring good news. Draco shivered again. He hadn't killed Dumbledore. Snape had. What would  _he_ do to him? To his mother?

Draco saw her standing there, quietly draped in shadows, out of sight even more than the Dark Lord had, because now he stood almost nose to nose with them, a cold flicker from candles lighting up a snake-like face. Draco had never feared anything as much as this  _man_  in front of him. Nothing had made him more afraid to speak, let alone look, even something so simple as  _existing_  was hard when those eyes were trained on you so intensely.

Red eyes that traveled from Snape's black and calm orbs to his silver ones in hungry curiosity.

It was not a man in front of them, it was a  _predator_. An infernal beast dressed as a man - because viciousness had not seen viciousness if it had not been tortured by  _him_ , death had never tasted so sweet if it had not been delivered by  _him,_ a beast had no fangs had it not been ripped apart by  _his snake's_.

And his eyes, that fleeting fraction of a second Draco had peered into them had left him groundless, fleeting in despair.

"It was done", Snape said slowly, "Draco's plan worked."

Others had come into the room, too, listening with heads lowered, desiring for knowledge, of their victory.

"Excellent",  _he_  said right above Draco, the words filled with satisfaction and pride. "By whose hand?"

"Mine", Snape finally answered the question and the silence after it was baneful. Draco felt his already pale skin pale further, turn colder, cold as ice. He swallowed and dared not look up into those eyes.

Even colder fingers grasped his jaw in a punishing touch, so arctic it froze him over, his heart barely beating - but that moment - that abysmal second filled him with determination so strong it was like nothing he'd ever experienced.

Draco felt powerful, empowered by that delicate touch of cruelest death looming over him.

He was Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin. A member of the most cunning House in Hogwarts. Snape was a Slytherin, too, and he could dread these baleful waters with ease - or so it seemed, murdering his other master with such calmness.

Despite his earlier feelings of annoyance toward the man, in that moment Draco respected him and decided to mimic him. Be cool, calm and fulfill every mission the best he could, so he could work his position as a.. something of Potter's well, with the slyness it needed. Because he was a Slytherin; he could do it.

"Show me" a cold voice breathed over him and that glacial hand forced his face up, for his eyes to meet angry red. He did, without fear in that moment. And that absence of fear shocked  _him,_  the Dark Lord, momentarily and the hand paused. Lord Voldemort  _wanted_  fear from those beneath him, he  _demanded it_. Not having fear was considered.. strange, amiss.

Draco himself knew it was a bad move, perhaps, but still he did it. Still he invited the beast in.

"Yes, My Lord", the words rolled off his tongue and Draco let the nefarious red devour him whole.

However, the Dark Lord was not one to be stunned for long, if he even was that in that moment. He peered down hard, causing Draco to gasp even though he'd lowered his occlumency barriers to let  _him_  in. It was his punishment for not showing fear.

Draco concentrated on being up in the Room, watching as Death Eater after Death Eater walked from the closet, aunt Bella grinning maliciously and laughing madly when taking it all in. How he winced in fear when Fenrir Greyback prowled into the room and his hungry eyes went over Draco. How he hurried to the Astronomy Tower and sent the Dark Mark up in the sky, how he got the message from Rosmerta Dumbledore was coming. And everything after that. How he failed in killing the man, who he was pleaded with, how he slightly lowered his wand when the others barreled in. Last of them being Snape, who finally was the one to shed the light from blue eyes, making him fall.. fall.. fall.. How they ran, how he was dragged along like a rag doll through battle and blood. How Potter followed, while shouting.

"Resigned for death? Young Malfoy?" was whispered right by his ear and Draco recoiled away, still not back from memories that were left untouched in just the right moment in time. It might have been a good thing he was so out of it, then.

"No, My Lord", Draco said and bowed slightly, "I was merely gathering myself back together to please you."

Voldemort looked at him again and Draco did not look away until three seconds later. It was his all time high.

The silence ensued, enthralling those within it to believe it was kind, benevolent - when it was not.

Draco gasped in pain, when a sudden wordless  _crucio_  hit him, making him twitch and burn. It was the kind of hurt that ripped open without blood, tore the very soul to pieces with terror so cruel a second felt like hours. Until it eventually ended. Draco found himself laying on the floor, by  _his_  feet: bare feet, bony and looking frozen. A black robe swirled slightly in movement.

"Rise" was the simple order that made him will his twitching hands to move, to push at the ground and get up, to stand on shaky feet, breathing hard.

Voldemort looked at him with an unreadable air around him. Suddenly a cold hand was back on his cheek, cupping it with a freezing chill that seeped straight into bones.

"You are not bad, Draco", were the words that met him, getting him by surprise.

"My Lord?" Draco asked, not understanding.

"Even thought you did not kill him yourself, your efforts were.. acceptable. I shall release your father, as promised. But.. I need to train you; to meet my standards.  _No hesitation_  next time, Draco. I will not allow it. Now leave me. You are tired."

And the hand released his jaw, only for Draco to stand still in wonder.

Had that happened? Was he pardoned? Told to  _rest_ _?_

Snape grabbed his arm and showed him out of the Dark Lord's eyes, close to his mother standing there anxiously, waiting for him. Draco went, not really believing it. He was alive. His mother was alive; his father.. would be free.

A warm hand grasped his, encircling it in warmth as he was lead away further into the house, trough doors and corridors full of marvel and evil. Gradually, while walking, the ice started to melt. Only the feeling of a soft hand in his carrying him on. They stopped by her mother's quarters, settling on a couch, where his mother finally pulled him into a tight hug that shattered the rest of frost in him. Draco wound his arms tight around her and started crying profoundly in relief, in happiness of being alive.

"I did it", he sobbed in his mother's loving embrace, "I did it, I got us free."

A hand petted his head, like so many times before, always so gentle and warm.

"You did, my dragon. I'm proud of you. For many reasons." And Draco could find how she meant that, how she didn't want him to kill - and he hadn't.

"I'm so glad I didn't do it", he whispered against her shoulder and felt her hands tighten around him even more in reassurance. Draco felt a tear roll to his shoulder. They were both crying in release of the beast - at least momentarily.

His family lived. A soft smile crept upon his shivering lips.

He was home. In the real definition of home, with his family.

 

 

 

Harry stared through the window on Gryffondor boy's dorm. He sat on the window sill and stared. Not really seeing anything. He was numb.

Dumbledore was.. dead. The locket was a fake. Snape had killed him, Dumbledore, who'd trusted him so much. And Draco.. Malfoy had let it happen - it would have had to have been  _him_ to kill. But he had not.

Harry was numb.

He hadn't realized how severe Malfoy's plans were, but he should have. They were the Dark Lord's orders.

Harry didn't know what to think about the blonde git. Would he kill Harry, if given the order? Probably not - he hadn't been able to kill Dumbledore either. Did he even care about Harry? Was it all a lie? Something to fool him and then betray to Voldemort?

Harry didn't know.

And that was one of the most horrible things he felt, given everything.

Even the sole loss of his mentor, friend, the most powerful wizard of time, left him wallowing in sadness and to add the probable betrayal of Draco? It was all Harry could do to stay sane.

He sighed in resignation and hopped off of the sill. Better do something else than sit here all day, he thought and went to his bed to take his wand, when his eyes drifted to something that wasn't really his - a galleon on the table. It was what Mafloy had given him, dropped really, just before Snape dragged him away.

Harry took it and inspected it in curiosity. Then his mind clicked and he knew what it was - a message plate! Like theirs in DA but one he'd told he'd used with Rosmerta. Harry looked at the edges and true, words were carved to it:  _Alive at the manor._

Harry was taken aback by that. Alive? Certainly he was- ah, Snape had killed Dumbledore, not Malfoy, so he was to bear the wrath of Voldemort.

Harry pointed his wand at the coin and stilled. What would he say? This was his means to message Draco. It should be okay, as long as Harry didn't tell anything important. Then Malfoy couldn't use it against him if he was an evil git - and if he wasn't.. well they could help each other stay sane. 

 _Good. Injured?_ Harry wrote back and sat on his bed, resting against the board. The galleon heated up soon and new words appeared.  _Glad I heard from U._ It said, before another set of words appeared.  _Only crucioed. It was odd._

Harry frowned at that.  _How so?_ He asked and the coin heated again after a short while. 

 _Because it was just that._ And again after a while, which Harry knew was coming, because the galleon was warm:  _And he told me to rest._ Harry frowned again. That was odd. 

 _What did u do?_  

_Showed no fear. Some strange feeling overcame me._

Showed no fear while in the presence of Voldemort. Harry had to be proud of Draco. 

 _Tell me if he does something odd again._ Harry sent and shut his eyes closed. Voldemort only slightly punishing Draco was really too odd. He could only hope it stayed the same. 

 _Will do. How are U?_ Harry glanced at the galleon and sighed. He was asking about him now.. This was harder. 

 _Truth? Not good._ Well honest was probably a good way to go. 

 _I'm sorry._ And that was obvious. Harry sighed again.

Here he was: talking with the one who produced the setting for Dumbledore's ruin. Well.. which wouldn't have worked had Harry not been there. Pain etched into his chest again. 

 _It was my fault_. He wrote back at last. It was okay to tell Draco; he'd listen. He couldn't do anything else either, though.

  _How? It was all me, and Snape._  

_I made him weaken before we came to school. Otherwise.. it wouldn't have happened._

There was a long silence from the galleon.

_He knew what he was doing, Harry. Not your fault. He was too wise for that._

Harry stared at the words in wonder. And Draco went and said it was Dumbledore's fault, And called him Harry. Wow.

He lay back and stared at the familiar red curtains. It was true Dumbledore was wise - but certainly not even he could predict everything. It was as if Malfoy knew he wouldn't answer anytime soon, because the coin heated again. 

_Stop wallowing in misery, Potter. You've too much left to do for that._

And now he told him to go there and fight. Harry laughed. He couldn't help it. He laughed hard, so hard tears rolled down his cheeks and he started crying in earnest, too. And the worst.. Draco was right. He had much to do.

  _Okay. Thanks, I guess._ Harry finally sent back and wondered - would Draco know something? Something he could use to track down the horcruxes. 

_Do u know anything what he thinks is important? Like an object?_

_Well.. his snake - it's always slithering near him. And I think Bella might have something of his - she's bragging once._

Harry sat back up again and thought. The snake.. was obvious. But that Bellatrix had something - that was dreadful. How the hell were they supposed to get it? 

 _Do u know any R.A.B._ He then sent. 

_Not really. Any good wizard families with B are the Blacks, Bulstrodes and Burkes, though._

Blacks.. Harry thought and remembered the tapestry in Grimmauld Place. It wouldn't hurt to check, right? And there might be family books in the library here, too.

 _T_ _hanks. I'm better now._  

_Good to hear._

_What are u doing?_

_Practising spells and wordless as well as occlumency._  

_Wow, why?_

_We're at WAR Potter. You should do it, too. Ask for some books from Granger, I bet she's already doing that, too._

Wow, Malfoy had a point. Why hadn't Harry thought to do that?

And why hadn't Hermione reminded him? 

_Going now, spells to learn._

_Told you._

Was his short reply. Harry smiled at the galleon and wondered how Malfoy'd done it - caused him to smile despite it all.

Harry got up and went off to find Hermione, she'd be happy he finally got his mind off darker things. He took the galleon with him, too. Just to have it if it happened to heat up again. 

 

 

Harry finally found Hermione - in the library, surprise much. She was going through books like she was trying to read ten at once.

"Oh, hi Harry", she absently said and returned back to reading after giving him a short look.

"Hi. Hate to disturb you, but do they have family books here? On Blacks, Bulstrodes and Burkes?"

Hermione looked up at his question, clearly perplexed.

"Why do you ask?" she inquired and finally really looked at him. And frowned.

"You look good", she accused him and Harry sighed, avoiding answering why.

"R.A.B. remember? M- I thought it would be one of those families. If he knew Voldemort, you know."

Hermione studied him for a long moment.

"There are. Fifth row, bottom shelf. Want my help?"

"No, I see you have your hands full already", Harry said and walked to retrieve the massive works. He opened the Black one first and started going through names that fit the age line. There was a Regulus I but his second name didn't match. The name woke some feelings in Harry and he wondered why that was. Then he moved lower and caught a name that matched. Regulus Arcturus Black. Sirius' brother. He's mind reeled. Could R.A.B. be Sirius' brother? He remembered now how Sirius had told him he'd been a Death Eater and gotten himself killed somehow - but they didn't ever know how exactly.

But what had happened? Where was the locket? And how could they destroy it when they found it? They didn't have Gryffindor's sword.

Harry looked up.

"Hey Hermione",

she looked up.

"Have you wondered exactly how we are going to destroy horcruxes when we find them?"

Her eyes stared at his for a second and then they rounded up.

"No", she breathed, almost panicked, "I haven't - how haven't I thought of that!!?"

And she almost jumped up and did.. something. Harry would never know, because he grabbed her hand and kept her still.

"What all even destroys them? I know I destroyed one with a... a basilisk fang! That's it! We can go and get one now that we are still here!" Harry said and looked up beaming at Hermione, who looked equally happy.

"Good thinking Harry! How couldn't I have thought about that..."

Harry rested his hand on her shoulder.

"With everything going on it wouldn't be a wonder. Oh, do you have any good spells for me to practise?"

And she looked at him again with that curious gaze.

"How come you're so rational right now Harry? I was sure you would wallow in misery for days - certainly not think so far ahead."

Harry blushed a little and his hand reached automatically to the galleon in his pocket.

"Don't know, really. I just realized we have so much to do it wouldn't help anyone if I was a wreck. Dumbledore himself wouldn't want that."

Hermione's eyes softened and she reached a hand to his.

"That's so wise thinking Harry. I'm glad you have the power to do it - not all can."

"Thanks 'Mione." I better run to the Chamber now when no one expects it."

"Wait! I'll come too, I kind of want to see it." she said and waved the books back to their places with her wand.

"Great", Harry said and off they went.

 

 

"This is the great Chamber of Secrets? It's so.. dirty! And in ruins!"

"Well, that's where Lockhart caused the roof to give in. But yeah, it's not that nice." Harry said and they climbed over the rubble.

He spoke parseltongue to the other door and it opened. Hermione looked at him curiously.

"I can't seem to ever get used to you speaking it" she said in a mumble.

The basilisk was where he'd left it all those years ago, lying dead on the floor, a plethora of venomous teeth glaring daggers at them.

"We're not gonna get hurt while removing those, are we?" he asked in a shiver when remembering the venom working it's way through his body, bleeding life out of him so easily.

Hermione didn't answer, only waved her wand and the teeth separated from the body and flew to them.

"Magic, Harry, is a good thing to have", she said with a wink and Harry laughed.

"I can see that", he remarked dryly.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot - I found him - R.A.B. At least I think I did", he said, wanting to hit his head for forgetting.

His tone darkened when Hermione looked to him expectantly.

"Regulus Arcturus Black - Sirius'"

"-brother. Oh" Hermione finished and fell to her thoughts. "That makes sense - but where is it now? The real horcrux?"

Harry thought on it while they walked and suddenly halted, because Hermione had done the same ad almost caused him to walk over her.

"The locket!" Hermione suddenly shouted, excited, "The locket that wouldn't open no matter what we did! Didn't Kreacher take it? He did take many things away to hide we tried throwing away."

"Kreacher", Harry said, grimacing a little, not really knowing did he want to meet his house elf, but he wasn't given a choice when a 'crack' sounded and the elf in question appeared in front of them.

"Master called for Kreacher?" it asked, eyeing them and their surroundings with wary eyes.

Harry looked at it blankly.

Hermione cleared her throat and asked: "Kreacher - do you still have that silver locket from Grimmauld Place?"

"A mudblood dares to talk to Kreacher, what nonsense", the elf muttered and glared at them.

"Answer the question", Harry said, angry the elf was disrespectful to Hermione, who was the only one to treat it right.

"No.. Kreacher does not have it", it said and was suddenly  _very_ angry, "That filthy thief stole it from my Mistress' ancestors house! That filthy thief.."

"Who Kreacher? Who stole it?" Harry asked, having a bad premonition.

"Mundungus Fletcher", Kreacher spat out. "He took Kreacher's master's locket.."

He and Hermione exchanged glances. They needed to ask the order where he was. Harry felt anger rising inside of him by how the man had not stopped defiling Sirius' house even after his warning.

"How did you get it?" Harry finally asked Kreacher, curious to know something at least. And so Kreacher told them a story neither of them could ever believe hearing from him, with only a few promises to destroy said locket. Harry was almost fond of him now.

Hermione had tears in her eyes and Harry asked Kreacher to take it easy for a while. Of course he wouldn't; he was a house elf after all.

 

 

"You did what?" Ron asked, disbelieving, "You did  _what?_ And where was I, eating? While you found out all that? That's.. That's unfair!"

He looked hurt and Harry tried to comfort him by saying: "We didn't really think about it either - it just, kind of rolled along? None of it was planned, you know?"

Ron shook his head, still in denial. Finally he huffed and grinned.

"Well, I gotta say - without this thing today? We would have been in trouble come summer", and they were back to being a trio again.

Harry smiled happily and caught Ginny's eye from opposite the common room. His mood grimmed immediately. He had to do the right thing for her.

 

 

 _Broke up with Gin._ He sent later that evening to Malfoy. 

 _Why?_ Was his short answer. Harry sighed and rubbed at his eyes under his glasses. This was hard. 

_She'd be in danger, was what I said. But we both know why really. It wouldn't be fair for her._

The galleon stayed cold for a long while and Harry wondered would Malfoy answer at all, when finally it heated again. 

_K._

Harry stared at it in astonishment.

K?

He, the insufferable git, dared send  **K** as an answer. Harry huffed and moved back on the bed, dropping the galleon.

Which heated after a while. 

 _Did I make you angry?_ It read once Harry picked it up again, wanting to toss it back out immediately.

That git... 

 _Of course not._ Harry sent and waited for an answer a slight smile on his lips, which he didn't even notice was there. 

_Too bad. Would have loved to._

Yeah, Harry was sure the git would have loved to do just that. 

 _You are pardoned only cos u were of use to me today._ He sent back and thought to all they had figured out.

They'd went to McGonagall about Mundungus, not really telling why, but that they had dealt with already, when she had wanted to know what Dumbledore had planned to them. But Harry couldn't tell - it was far too dangerous. The new Headmistress had been reluctant to help without knowing why but had done so nonetheless. Mundungus would be at Hogwarts tomorrow, the day before the funeral. They had time until then to get everything they could from Hogwarts and then.. then they'd be on their own.

Harry knew he was going to hunt the horcruxes and he was ready to do so alone, but Ron and Hermione had been adamant to come along, and truthfully, Harry was happy. It would be much easier with them - and he wouldn't be alone.

  _Even when I don't get why, I'm glad I was._ Read on the galleon and Harry smiled again.

He had Malfoy, too. To keep him irritated, and smiling despite it all.

 

 

Harry dreamed of strange things that night.

He knew it was one of  _those_ again.

One of Voldemort. 

_He walked along a moonlit corridor in a lavish mansion, feeling almost.. happy, elated. The old fool was finally gone and soon all of his would be Lord Voldemort's, as it rightfully should be. Nagini slithered alongside him, hissing happily, knowing something good had happened._

_"Massterr", she asked and raised a scaly head slightly to look at him. Nagini always met his eyes._

_"Why are you sso happyy?"_

_Voldemort turned back to the corridor in front of him and a slight smile rose on his lips._

_"Because everything is going to plan, Nagini. The old fool is finally dead", he said and Nagini hissed in understanding._

_"Good. It'ss good massterr iss happyy", she said and coiled slowly around his shoulders._

_A sudden flash of light and a bang alerted him to someone else's presence. Voldemort walked towards the light, to a half open door through which he could hear panting and more flashes. Someone was practicing in this late hour. Who could it be?_

_Curious, he opened the door and saw the youngest Malfoy in an empty room, a wand in hand and perspiration traveling down his temple. He had been here quite long already, Voldemort induced._

_The boy was a surprise. His lack of fear was.. alerting._

_Why wasn't he afraid?_

_He knew the boy had been shivering profoundly right until the moment he'd touched his jaw. Then.. in that moment.. the shivering stopped. And he'd met his gaze. For three seconds. That was.. something._

_The boy intrigued him. He seemed more than Lucius, who only used everything for his own purpose. The boy had done the impossible by setting up the murder of Albus Dumbledore._

_True, Voldemort had never thought it possible - it was something to punish Lucius_ _._

_But the boy.. he had done it._

_With a proper incentive.. he would be quite a follower._

_Voldemort inspected the boy's movements. wordless incantation practice, sharp precise movements - he wasn't bad._

_How about.. a surprise._

_He brought his own wand higher, pointing it to the boy and firing a simple stunner. He saw how the boy paled, spun around and wordlessly cast a_ proteco _._

_Impressive. He shot another one, just to see. And the boy deflected that one too._

_His eyes wide open in shock, but no fear.. Still no fear._

_Why didn't he fear Lord Voldemort?_

_Voldemort lowered his wand and the boy looked at him, standing there on the door way._

_"My Lord", he greeted and bowed a bit. He had manners, also, a true Malfoy. And he didn't ask questions, only waited obediently._

_Voldemort smiled. It wasn't a pleasant one._

_Training the boy.. would prove to be.. interesting._

_He walked into the room and saw the boy's eyes on his smile, not on his red, red eyes._

_Eyes that brought fear. Voldemort quite liked his eyes.._

_The boy became wary._

_Good.. Wary was a way to fear.._

_And he_   ** _should_ ** _fear Lord Voldemort._

 

_He raised his wand again._

 

No, Harry thought while living his dream, NO!

 

But the Dark Lord couldn't hear his quiet screams.

 

He only had eyes for a blonde boy standing in front of him, without fear.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This... didn't obey my wishes..
> 
> I didn't intend to write such an abrupt AU. I really didn't..
> 
> Well. I blame Malfoy. Why had he have to be such a git and inform Harry to toughen it up while in Hogwarts?
> 
> Also, expect another chapter on this.. I don't think it'll fit in 5 anymore, haha..


	4. Holding On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold - Elephante ft. Jessica Jarrell, Candyland remix
> 
> Hope you like, Thanks for reading,
> 
> Halfway through..
> 
> Riza xx

 

_Voldemort raised his wand again._

 

_But lowered it to his side when the boy only clutched his own harder._

_Only wariness in silver eyes - no fear._

_Voldemort wanted fear in them, swallowing the silver and leaving only desperation there._

_He walked to the boy, shedding Nagini off of him, staying silent even though the air was twisting in anxiousness at his refusal to speak. The boy's anxiousness; not his, never his._

_But still no fear._

_He clutched that pale jaw in his hand again, forcefully angling it to meet his eyes. His red, red eyes._

_He saw the sculpted face properly now, almost as silver as his eyes that avoided his in the moonlight._

_"Show me what you fear, Draco", he whispered into the silence and earned a surprised look from the boy._

_He used that moment of contact between red and silver to delve into the boy's mind. He practiced occlumency, by **his** own orders, taught by dear Bella. _

_The boy's barriers were quite good - but not nearly good enough to keep Lord Voldemort out of his mind._

_Which wasn't needed, because once his surprise subsided, the boy lowered those wards and let him in, some calmness returning to silver._

_Odd.. again.._

_Fear.. was a powerful emotion, which made it easy to follow._

_The more he looked, the more Voldemort realized the boy was a coward deep down._

_All the more curious it made the fact he now didn't fear_ ** _him_ ** _._

_The Dark Lord was the most easy to fear. All covered before him, but not this boy - not after that moment he had touched his jaw._

_It irritated him to no end._

_The youngest Malfoy had feared much during his life: in the Dark Forest, where he was sent with the Potter boy, when that Hippogriff attacked him, when his father was angry with him, when he'd first seen **him** , when he realized... _

_Oh, this was interesting.._

_"Fascinating", Voldemort almost purred as he retreated from the boy's mind and saw the shock there, saw how the wariness increased._

_"How much you fear your parents would find about.. your alignment.."_

_Voldemort slowly said and saw the realization there, but no fear, yet._

_So he had to keep going._

_"So, Draco.. This leaves me to wonder.. Just **who**_ _do you fancy?"_

_Now the eyes flashed with something like foreboding._

_Voldemort observed his eyes intently, to share that small secret. And he saw a face.. a face even he knew._

_The boy turned his eyes away hurriedly, but it was too late. He had seen it already._

_Voldemort laughed aloud. It was an elated laughter, a mocking laugh, a snort._

_"Potter.. You desire the Potter boy.. I must admit I'm a bit baffled, Draco", he said, looking at the boy with new eyes._

_He still looked away. Voldemort waited. The boy turned back, face a blank mask. But he saw a pink hue on those cheeks._

_"My Lord", he said apologetically and looked at his chest, not eyes, until he did, voluntarily, "Even you may have noticed he is attractive. And he is Potter. It would bring much.. attention should one.. bed him."_

_Voldemort was surprised at those words, no denying that. He laughed again, darker now._

_"No, I can't deny that", he said with some murky amusement._

_Because the boy's words had brought an idea to him. A dark idea, one he had not thought of before to bring fear. He wanted to see would it work to fight that calmness off._

_He brought his hand up again, to cup that cheek, but now.. now he slid one of his fingers along the jawline in a caress. He delighted in the alarmed look that flashed by the calmness._

_This could work.._

_"You have some resemblance to dear Bella", he said, making his voice contemplative, all the while watching the boy's reactions. He looked taken aback at first, then.. then the alarm intensified._

_Voldemort smiled wickedly, not bothering to hide it and used his hold to bring the boy closer, almost colliding against his chest. Silver eyes flew wide open in shock.. and a slight flicker of fear flashed in them... Good.._

_He lifted his other hand to the slim shoulder, stiffening noticeably, ever so softly resting it there, before lowering his head to speak softly by the boy's ear: "I could help you, Draco. But.. I would be the one doing the bedding.."_

_And he tightened his hold on the boy to be almost unbearable, bringing him even closer, forcing his face right in front, although a bit above that of a sheet white face screaming terror when understanding bit in, knowing what he could do to the boy._

_Voldemort smiled again, a twisted, wicked grin. Good.._

_He caressed the boy's cheek once again with a lone long finger, slowly tracking it down, trailing shivers, watching into those silver eyes. The boy shivered by the movement - and did not stop shivering. All the color had escaped him, as had the calmness. Only fear and trepidation were left while he dared not look into his red, red eyes anymore. Voldemort chuckled darkly. He liked to see that fear, feel the boy shivering in his hold. It was desired. He released the boy._

_Draco stumbled to the floor, shivering still like a leaf in the wind, looking down, unseeing, stiff and scared witless._

_The Dark Lord was pleased - but also slightly.. not.._

_"Remember this, Draco", he said before walking away._

_Everyone feared **him** \- it  **was** desirable._

_Even dear Bella did._

 

 

Harry woke up panting heavily, drenched in sweat.

That dream.. had been too real.. _they_ had talked of things too true.

Harry shivered and tried sitting up in bed. Ron or anyone else hadn't woken up -which was good. Harry didn't know what to say if someone asked what he'd dreamed of.

That look of pure terror on Draco's face sent shivers down even Harry's back and it made him feel anxious about the boy's safety in his  _home_. How could the blonde do it? Live there with  _him_ _?_

Harry clutched the galleon deeply in his fist, thinking. His anxiety won over knowing it was not wise. 

 _Are you okay?_ He sent and hoped,  _hoped_ he would answer. Harry couldn't even begin to imagine what he would feel like after experiencing that.. but Harry knew it from Voldemort's point of view. Maybe now he could help Draco.

 _Yeah._ Was the short answer that came and Harry frowned. Was that all? Obviously Draco didn't want him to know about that - well, honestly, Harry wouldn't either - but he did, soo.. 

 _He did that only for you to fear him._ He sent back, all things go to hell, he didn't care if Malfoy was an evil git or not. 

 _You know??_ _How?_ Well that was something Harry expected.  _I know things, sometimes, in my dreams._  

_That's scary, Potter. From **his** POV? _

_Yeah, it's useful sometimes. Scary as hell others._

_But can't he get into your head too?_

_He won't dare anymore, tried possessing me few years back. Didn't end well for him._

_That's disturbing.. You're a strange guy, Potter._

_Scaring you away?_

_Hah, no. It's good to know he wasn't serious._

_He doesn't swing that way, gladly. Only wants fear, so I reckon you should show it at times. Although, he was a bit.. disappointed you feared him._

_Gonna use that. Thanks Potter._

_No problem Malfoy. Remember to sleep, too, though._

_You sound like mother.._

_I don't!! I'm just being wise._

_U? wise? Ha!_

_Git!_

_Yeah, sure. Where are u going after H?_

_Back to the muggles, I guess._

_Muggles? Why the hell would you do that?_

_Some protection thing D believed in._

_That's just weird._

_It's how it is._

_Still weird. I would just.. dunno? Head to the Order's house? They have one right?_

_Yeah, just that Snape's a git who knows of it and now that D's gone.._

_Aah.. Sorry._

_No worries. Gonna sleep now._

_Night Potter._

_Night Malfoy._

 

The next day, Mundungus Fletcher came to Hogwarts, completely unaware exactly  _why_  he was to be there. It appeared to be the proper way to talk to him, because once he saw Harry standing in McGonagall's old office, which she still used, he paled and started inching to the door, only for it to slam shut behind him.

"Hi Harry" he greeted shakily, "How's it going?"

"Not so well", Harry said, "Partly because of  _you_. Professor, if I may ask you to step aside for a minute? This is private, as I stated?"

McGonagall looked sharper than ever, her lips pursed into a tight white line. Finally she nodded, glaring a look Mundungus' way before going to her quarters. Hermione and Ron stepped closer on Harry's both sides.

Mundungus looked dreadful.

"I.. What is this for?" He might have added something more, but Harry snapped at him before he could: "You stole something from Sirius again. A silver locket, especially. Where is it?"

Dung looked over the room, without a doubt trying to find a way out of the situation. But Kreacher popped into the room right then and scared the shit out of everyone there.

"Thief!" he screamed when his vicious eyes spotted Mundungus.

The man flinched back in reflex, which was probably good, because Kreacher had taken a skillet with him and swung it now viciously at him, eyes gleaming in hatred.

"Filthy thief!" He screeched again and finally got a hit in, before taking a step back.

"Whoa! Hold on a bit, Kreacher. He's all your's if he doesn't speak, though", Harry said and Kreacher stepped back, still holding the pan and looking murderous.

"Tell that thing off!" Mundungus yelled a bit late, because he was still covering behind his hands and only then realized Kreacher wasn't trying to murder him with a skillet anymore.

"So, you took this locket, a golden locket from Grimmauld Place. What did you do with it?" Harry continued on like nothing happened, delighted Kreacher had made an appearance and gotten one over the man.

A quiet fell and a strange look crossed Mundungus' face.

"How so? Is it valuable?" he asked, eyeing Kreacher warily.

"You still have it!" Hermione shouted, excited. But Ron shot her down gravely: "No, he doesn't. He's just thinking should he have asked more for it."

"More? That wouldn’t have been effing difficult…bleedin’ gave it away, di’n’ I? No choice", he said gravely.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, getting a bad feeling.

"I was selling in Diagon Alley and she come up to me and asks if I’ve got a licence for trading in magical artefacts. Bleedin’ snoop. She was gonna fine me, but she took a fancy to the locket an’ told me she’d take it and let me off that time, and to fink meself lucky."

"Who was it?" Harry asked, the bad feeling getting a tighter grip on him.

Mundungus frowned a little.

"Little woman. Bow on top of ‘er head...Looked like a toad."

If Harry had been holding anything in that moment, he would have dropped it.

Kreacher used the stunned silence to his advantage and sprang the skillet again straight to Mundungus' stomach, eliciting a pained groan from him. He bent down in pain and Kreacher stepped back, looking very pleased with himself, but Harry, Ron or Hermione didn't care about either of them now.

They looked at each other and wanted to groan.

Umbridge.

Fucking  _Umbridge_ had the locket.

The skin of his hand prickled again.

Mundungus screamed in pain at the floor and alerted McGonagall back into the office, looking started and worried.

"What is going on?" she asked and looked to the floor, where Dung was doubled over, then to the terrorized looks on three of her students faces. Kreacher had taken a moment somewhere to pop out of the room, like he never even was there. Harry swallowed and sat down on a chair in McGonagall's office before rubbing at his eyes by lifting his glasses a little.

"A bloody house elf tried to murder me!" Mundungus yelled from the floor. "Don't expect me to help this kid to move come July!"

And he marched out of the room doors clunking shut behind him. McGonagall shot a distasteful and disappointed look their way.

"I let you use my room to 'kindly ask' him something and he ends up beaten up?"

"He's a bloody thief", Harry interjected, "Been stealing stuff from Grimmauld Place even though I told him to stop. Kreacher wasn't happy about it, either, naturally."

McGonagall shut up at that and stared at the door, eyebrows tightly knit.

Harry thought to what Mundungus had said and asked: "I know I'm going back for the summer because Dumbledore wanted that, but how are we going to get me out? There's two months left unknown between that and this - who knows what Voldemort decides to do during that time."

McGonagall turned her strict gaze to him, eyeing him curiously, like Hermione often did nowadays.

"Praiseworthy consideration towards the future Mr Potter, but fear not - we will certainly come up with appropriate measures by that time", she said.

Surprisingly, it was Hermione who interjected here: "Harry's got a point, professor. Two months is a long time, who knows if Voldemort is able to infiltrate even the Ministry by that time. Then he would know exactly where Harry is and would only wait to get to him. And now with Snape being with the enemy.. Who knows how much he will tell them, he might even know what we are planning."

Everyone looked worried by what Hermione just said, but then the Professor sighed, tired.

"There's indeed much we cannot know, but Potter must go back, it is safest that way."

And that's how they left her office, each of their minds reeling. Hermione especially was frowning hard.

"I don't think this is a good idea"; she said finally. "He'll know where you are, he'll be sure to know and then attack you if even the slightest chance appears."

Harry nodded and looked thoughtful.

"Well, I have Kreacher - maybe he can be of help", he said finally, hoping it would all go well.

 

 

 

Draco sat on his bed in deep wondering.

His door was locked, little that it did in a house full of witches and wizards, but it gave him some relief either way.

The room was big, lavish and surprisingly, not covered in silver and green. Whites and grays, as well as light blues adored the surfaces in pale colors. If one didn't look closely, they could have even missed the boy sitting there, so still and silent he was, and so pale, in his room. It was evening again, like that time. Nowadays, if Draco left his room, it was with great care and once in the destination, he made sure to put some privacy wards on the door.

No more carelessness.

He shivered again, from simply thinking back to those cold hands on his skin, that big chest right in front of his eyes, caging him in, trying to plunge Draco into abysmal coldness to freeze him forever - and what  _he'd_ promised, threatened to do - Draco just couldn't take it, even the fleeting thought of  _him_ touching him so closely was revolting, unthinkable, unimaginable, impossible!

And _he'd_ had Draco so close it could have proved to be true any second there.

He wound his arms around himself tight and relished in the warmth they had. But he was safe - if only he showed fear _he_ would never touch him again. He knew that. Because of Potter, because Harry was apparently a very strange boy. No wonder he was in the center of this all, Draco thought and collapsed on the bed, looking up to the ceiling, magicked to be full of constellations.

If Potter hadn't messaged him, Draco would have likely gone back to be a shivering, terror stricken boy every time the Dark Lord was there, because he would remember that threat, like the red eyes had wanted him to remember. Become a useless coward again. He knew he was one, deep down, always fearing something.

But now.. now it was different. Because he knew, knew so well what he would do. Once  _he_ ordered Draco to come 'train' because that was inevitable, the man had promised such. So now he had a few days, weeks, who knew, to think up a plan. Severus Snape -style he would go on and get the recognition, while practicing occlumency the best he could.

Snape was among the few, the only one really, who could take that nefarious red gaze for minutes and still not flinch.

He was a legend in and of itself. 

 

 

The call came faster than Draco would have believed possible. His mother came tto his room looking stiff and worried - that was the first clue for Draco that something was wrong. Then she spoke and he knew the time had come.

"The Dark Lord wishes to speak with you, Draco. Now, in the white sitting room."

Draco sat up and met her gaze, that strange calmness, certainty wasging over him again. He flashed a small smile to her, in reassurance.

"Don't worry mother, it won't be bad", he said, although knowing she would not believe him.

He was true, of course. Narcissa Malfoy's eyes flickered in uncertainty and studied her son, so different he was in the presence of the pure evil residing in their home.

"Go on now", she said, nonetheless, "He's waiting."

Draco did and while walking he realized that even now he didn't fear the Dark Lord but his  _touch_. The revelation drenched him in so much relief he almost sacked against the wall. He would be alright now, Draco told himself.  _He_ would hardly touch him again, he hardly ever touched someone. He would be alright.

The white sitting room was that: white.

Couches in white, armchairs in white, tables, curtains, fireplace - white.

And in that whiteness world stood a black man, the oddity in the picture.

He turned his bony head slightly when the door closed by his left.

Draco stopped there and bowed a bit, before greeting: "My Lord."

He let one single note of fear into that first syllable and did not raise until given the order. A suffle of feet was his only warning before a black robe was in his peripheral.

"Draco. Rise", the order sounded from too close and Draco stiffened before getting in a steadying breath.

He rose and met a chest right in front of his eyes. A flicker of fear flashed by his eyes but he grit his teeth and stood still. He saw a fleeting smile on thin lips. So it worked - for now.

"I have been thinking", the Dark Lord started speaking in an even voice, "how best to train you as I promised. Your wandmanship is acceptable but perhaps Bella could help you while she's here?"

"Yes, My Lord. That would be helpful", Draco was quick to say.

"Good.. Now.. What comes to your.. hesitation, however, I think we need to sort that out by practical means", the beast in front of him said and added after a while, as if Draco hadn't understood from that, "I'll have you tortute and kill, Draco."

A short silence fell between them, a silence during which Draco contemplated could he survive what he planned. In the end.. it was his only choice, now wasn't it?

Or how Potter would have said, not only, only the least corrupting.

Draco looked up, to show he was serious, to show.. his offer would be the best one.

"My Lord, I'm afraid I cannot do that. I am not capable of taking a life, as we saw in the case of Headmaster. And if you forced my hand.. I fear I wouldn't quite play by your rules anymore", Draco said, seeing red flash scarlet in anger.

A dark magic rose from the man and almost suffocated while encircling him.

"Elaborate, Draco, exactly why I shouldn't just kill you and your whole family now?"

Draco bowed again, to show submission.

"Yes, My Lord. I know this sounds outrageous, but I have logical explanations. The only things I would not do would be killing and incapacitating a person permanently. Other means, such as spells and unforgivables would be yours to use. And please, think about it: you could either have three followers willing to work for you or three less, only lessening your power. This manor wouldn't be yours to command anymore, either, because it would be the goblins'. I would work for you, but not kill. I believe you have other means than mere killing to expand your power - and those eager to kill are numerous, one such as me, wouldn't even be noticed in their mids."

A  _crucio_  hit him in answer, like last time.

It tore and brought terror as always, but Draco was also curiously happy.

Because it was only torture, not death.

Torture that went on and on and on. But he was alive. When it finally ended, Draco knew in his tired mind it had gone on for at least twice as long as last time, simply from the unwillingness of any of his muscles as he lay in a heap on the white rug. Breath left his lungs in short gasps and he twitched, the aftereffects of the unforgivable as severe as always.

He didn't mind the silence in the room. The Dark Lord must be furious to have such a follower. But Draco knew  _he_ was interested in him, why that would be, he had no idea. But thanks to Potter, he knew.

"You must have been out of your mind to speak like that to me", a seething voice sounded above.

Draco trained his neck to the side to look up.

"I might have", he admitted with a slight, choking chuckle, "I just thought I ought to be honest with My Lord."

Another silence followed.

Draco was glad for it because he could recuperate in peace.

"I value honesty, true", Lord Voldemort admitted calmly, his magic lifting Draco up from the ground to hover before the Dark figure.

A hand ghosted his haw and without wanting to, Draco flinched. A small smile rose on those thin lips, mocking him.

"That's why.. I'll give you a rare chance. Lord Voldemort is favorable to those loyal to him, honest to him. I'll teach you about wards and if you fail to learn, I'll kill you. But if you are a bright student I'll take your.. advice in how dealing with you. And be sure to  _remember_ : This is your only chance young Malfoy. Use it well."

"Yes, My Lord. Thank you My Lord. I won't disappoint you", Draco said with meaning, intent on learning all he could, indeed.

All he could, so as to live a little longer, while still pure at soul.

The magic holding him vanished as did the man in black.

Draco fell to the floor and the door opened to reveal his mother, looking worried.

"He told me to come in, knew I was waiting", she explained and crouched down by his side, cradling his head in her lap.

"Oh, Draco.. what did you do? And you said it would be nothing." she said, tenderly petting his hair while looking him all over for injuries.

Draco laughed a little bit coughed right after it in pain.

"Oh this was nothing - a crucio for declining the Dark Lord's order to kill is hardly a punishment."

The hand petting him halted and the ever calm Narcissa Malfoy shivered in disbelief.

"You did what?" She asked horrified and swatted at his head a little, before cradling him even tight her arms.

"You stupid boy, why did you do that? Our situation is grave as it is - you could have gotten us all killed."

"I know", Draco said quietly, but then laughed a bit, "But I didn't - in stead he promised to teach me."

Now his mother looked at him like he was a peculiar creature and not her son.

"I was promising, I guess", he told in unasked explanation.

Narcissa sighed and petted his blonde hair again in an attempt to calm down, knowing they were not under another death sentence.

"You must have known what you were doing, I hope", she said and sifted a little, "now let's get you up from there."

"Yes, mother", Draco said and got up with his mother's help.

 

 

"Have you ever woven wards before?"

"No, sir", Draco answered the question asked by the Dark Lord, who preferred being called 'sir' during their lessons.

 _He_ nodded his pale head a little and said: "Then we'll start with you doing just that; over and over again once you'll be able to set one up even in the middle of the night if I want you to do so. Now watch."

And the Dark Lord brandished his wand like a lover, holding it gently and swirling it in intricate patterns in the air, a silvery hue following and developing around them in the air. Finally he quipped it a little and the woven net flew up, settling around them and the hue weakening until it was only identifiable by the magic it emitted.

"Now you do the same",  _he_ said and smiled, eyes gleaming in elation at the feel of  _his_ magic; and some magic it certainly was. More powerful than any Draco had ever felt. He almost felt lightheaded by it.

"Yes, sir", he said while swallowing and lifted his wand up, remembering the delicacies of  _his_ touch and trying to get into the right feel about his magic.

Now his wand emitted a little blue hue and he let it dance in the air, following the patterns  _he_ had shown, concentrating, wanting to do his best, knowing he had to do so. Perspiration trickled down his temple, but Draco didn't mind it; didn't even notice it as he watched the net weaving itself above them. His wand-hand mimicked the snapping movement and the net floated up, to mingle under  _his_ wards.

Huffing in exhaustion, Draco turned to see red eyes smirking in pleasure,  _he_ lifted his wand high up and snapped it lightly. Draco's wards fell down like it was only a ghost of smoke.

He stared at the evaporating magic in desperation; his hard work vanishing so easily.

"Wards are also easy to take down once you know how they are made", was the only explanation given, when a slightly sadistic voice sounded:

"Again."

And again Draco weaved his wand, again and again, so long as he had no magic left, his wards always extinguished so easily.

And every time Draco followed those wand movements, intents, incantations in an almost hungry will to match it, to have his wards stay, for once.

Eventually, when he had difficulties staying standing,  _he_ excused him to bed.

Draco went, and fell nearly dead on it, not bothering to do anything and just closed his eyes for sleep to take him.

Unknown to him, a figure watched him from the shadows and came forth, a warm smile on her lips. She put a soft blanket over him, wiped the sweat away and lastly eased him further into the bed, tucking him in tight.

 

When she turned, another figure, this one dark, threatening, stood there in the door way, looking on silently.

 

She stilled and bowed her head low.

 

"My Lord", she greeted and added after a bit, "Thank you for teaching Draco, despite his short-comings."

 

The Dark Lord said nothing, merely inclined his head a little to the side before he left, leaving them there again.

 

Narcissa turned to look at her son worriedly, before sighing deeply and sitting down to pet his light-blonde curls.

 

"Be careful, my dragon", she murmured softly and placed a kiss on Draco's temple,

 

"We all need to hang on till the end. And I don't want you to fall too far in before that."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I came to a startling realization today: I lack time!!  
> It's horrible; like I've got all these great ideas and all and then.. no Time.  
> It wouldn't be such a problem but with my increasing chapter length it kinda is..  
> So I need to either cut down on how much to share daily or then update longer chaps a few days apart.  
> Which would you like?  
> If I hear nothing from you, I'll just do as I please..  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy!  
> Thanks!


	5. Runaways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Runaways - Sleeping Wolf
> 
> Oh, good riddance!!  
> I'm just gonna go with what my mind makes up, to the hell with how Snape will end up!  
> Ah, ah, I don't want him to end up too badly though.... The pains of a writer..  
> Haha, continuing on~~
> 
> Think about it: my 'short' chapter, a 'cut down' chapter, ends up being over 7,000 words... How'd that even happen?
> 
> Enjoy~~ :)  
> Riza xx

 

Draco listened in morbid fashion as Snape screwed over Yaxley with a cool and collected sneer on his face, met the Dark Lord's gaze for  _minutes_ and arrived almost late - while casually rocking it all, earning  _his_ favor by doing so.

Although,  _how_ and in _what_ , more precisely, he screwed Yaxley over was kinda bad.

They were talking of killing Potter, you see.

Draco looked to his right, to his father, sitting further away than Draco from Lord Voldemort. Many had noticed this and looked at them with curious and scowling looks. But Lucius didn't sit next to Draco, that place was Narcissa's and then, next to her, was Lucius. It was clear who  _he_ valued in their family.

Draco had no idea exactly how his mother had earned  _his_ respect. She was magnificent, though, sitting ramrod straight and staring ahead with a clear face. She was right after Snape in the people most respected by Draco at the table.

On Draco's left sat Bellatrix, leaning into their Lord, fawning over him like a lovesick puppy. Draco knew she could be mad and powerful, but he held no such respect for her as the two previously mentioned. She was just.. mad.

Their sessions were always a bit.. difficult to deal with.

Especially their dueling practice. Bellatrix hardly dueled without the intent to kill. Because of that tragic little detail, Draco often feared for his life, while exchanging spells and hexes with her.  _He_ only chuckled darkly and said it was 'good practice'. She also  _ **never**_ disarmed him - her fascination was the  _Tarantallegra_ , always forcing Draco's feet to dancing until he got the  _finite_ in while she cackled in madness at his ridiculous form before they went at it again, Draco dancing by the end again.. feeling embarrassed and blushing and casting  _finite_ faster every time.

The Dark Lord had walked in once while they dueled and had looked on in cool detachment as Draco's feet moved without his consent. But Draco knew he had been amused. Because _he_ had touched Bellatrix' shoulder, making her all but drool at him.

But now was not the time to think of that - Lord Voldemort was talking about killing, and when he talked of that subject, one should better listen.

And it was good Draco listened, because a sharp jab was made at his father.

He moved his gaze to him. Lucius was still very much in their Lord's disfavor and now.. he was made to give up his wand. Which he did, with a discreet nudge from Narcissa. And then  _he_ regarded them all, once his father had seemed to indiscreetly want  _his_ wand. Even Draco stiffened at the move uncomfortably.

"That I would give you  _my wand_.. I've given you your freedom, Lucius. Shouldn't that be enough? And even that was earned by your  _son_. Your son, who is certainly more of a man than you, as I've come to notice lately. Yes, Draco has my favor", the last words were said to the other Death Eaters around them, sharing started looks at Draco, who sat there calmly, like he'd seen Snape do.

Voldemort continued on, giving out information while enjoying their surprise: "He has been studying under me", Draco flinched instinctively at the choice of words, "for a little over a month now.. and I'd say he would win most of you in a duel - even Bellatrix here has come to be taken by surprise a time or too."

Now they looked at him in silent wonder, some mouths opening, others swallowing in discomfort.

"And what comes to wards.. he is a fast learner."

"Or you a great teacher, My Lord"; Draco said modestly and nodded to  _him_. It was true, the beast knew how to teach.

If someone asked Draco, he'd say he was better than even those at Hogwarts.

Lord Voldemort smiled, an extremely rare sight and looked up. As did everyone else. Draco had looked at her once and turned his gaze away, not wanting to see more of the tragic fate she had upon her. But their faces turned away when a soft discord alerted them to another presence, something shuffling underneath the table. Many flinched away, but not  _him_ , never  _him,_ as the giant snake appeared and coiled around the chair on the top of the table and white slim fingers petted the coils absentmindedly.

"When talking of teaching", Voldemort continued on, like no pause had happened, "It comes to mind we have a guest in our mids."

And they turned their eyes back up, to the muffled woman circling above the table, pleading at them with her eyes.

"Severus", Voldemort stated and asked, "I think you know her? As do you, Draco?"

When Draco only watched on, he added, "Oh, but you must not - it wasn't like she ever taught you."

He did know of her, had seen her at the high table, but he did not know her. And Draco didn't want to speak - he knew the end she would have. Only that it was still surprising, and slightly revolting; she was given to the snake to kill, while they watched.

The second they were asked to scatter, Draco got up, ready to bolt from the stuffed snake laying contently on the table. He saw Bellatrix stay, to fawn over  _him_ some more after they all left through different means.

Draco slipped off to a room and hatched out his galleon - the one he used to keep in touch with Potter and hesitated a while, before knowing it was good he'd know.

_If you're planning a trip on 27th, don't!_

Deciding that would do the trick he stuffed the coin back to his pocket, only to feel his back slammed against a wall and a furious, angry, _murderous_ Potions Master inches away from his face.

"You stupid, Ignorant, child!" Snape bellowed under his breath in a venomous seethe that left Draco speechless and scared - he'd never seen the man lose his temper, "What did you do? Don't tell me that's something to share information with  _them_? I knew something was off with you, but that.. this.."

and now he was lost for words, too.

"You're ruining everything! Getting us all killed!" Snape found the right words and spat them at Draco.

And Draco was getting mad now, too.

"Am not! I'm helping - and I'll not get us killed, I know what I'm doing!"

"You  _don't!_ " Snape growled and held Draco tighter against the wall.

"That was my means to show my loyalty! Now that you've gone and told Potter - now that's ruined!"

Draco fell silent at the words. And frowned. Thought for a moment.

"You can just tell later that Potter was being his own usual hotheaded self and ran away under his cloak or something - I can even get you the details later. We all know he does stupid shit every time and that would cut it - especially if his friends were to be in danger because of him. And it's done already, he's not gonna move on that day."

Snape listened to his words and the anger subsided. He looked almost appreciative.

"That could work, yes", Snape said and looked contemplative.

Only then did Draco's mind catch up with important information unraveling now to him.

"Wait! You're on their side! Then why.. would you.." he asked, incredulous.

"On his own orders, Draco. But no more of that, you are a liability even as it is."

Draco nodded, understanding.

"I do what I must to keep alive. And he trusts me on some level - otherwise I would be dead already."

Snape sighed loudly and stepped back and they settled down on two respective chairs in the room.

"We'll do what we'll have to", he said once and looked over to Draco, "Tell me then - have you learned much?"

Draco relaxed and nodded, quite enthusiastically at that.

"I have! The way he wields magic is.. absolute wondrous! I didn't know it could be even possible to know so much with just feeling it - like with wards and how to dispel them? You have to  _feel_ them and then they just bend if you're clever enough! And with Bella.. although she's annoying at times, she really knows how to duel. It's been eyeopening."

Snape actually showed a rare slight smile at his enthusiasm.

"I see you're having fun, Draco. But you also seem to have much to learn. If you want, I could show you a few tricks of my own", Snape said and they both had relaxed without even noticing it, which was why they stiffened so noticeably when a voice asked from the door way: "Tricks I've taught you, Severus?"

They both turned to look and scampered to their feet bowing as the Dark Lord stepped in, stealing the space all to himself.

"Quite a rare show of benevolence", he added, looking at Draco, while Snape answered drawing their eyes momentarily to him. "Some of course,, they are magnificent, but a few of my own invention, too", he said and nodded to the Dark Lord. Draco was still left wondering was it possible that his new found idol - Severus Snape, was willing to teach him something, when those red eyes turned to him again.

"Oh", another sound from  _him_ stated then and red eyes turned to Snape, thin lips in a smile,

"Did you know, Severus, that you have an admirer? Draco here seems to find you his role model lately.. Especially", and red peered into his silver before Draco could stop them, a small chuckle escaped _him_ , 

"How you can meet my gaze."

And red eyes moved to Snape again, to peer down into his black orbs.

Draco blushed heavily - that was not something anyone was meant to know! Snape looked at him with a raise of his eyebrow, keeping his calm.

"I.. did not", he said slowly, tasting the words, "Actually I was under the impression I wasn't liked much - he kept avoiding my presence most of last year."

And now they both fixed their stares on Draco, who blushed even more and backed away.

"That.." he stammered, "That was _my_ job!!"

He finally spat out and earned another raise of an eyebrow from Snape. Voldemort just seemed to enjoy watching him squirm.

"May I.. May I go? My Lord?" Draco asked, wanting to get out from being stared at by the two imposing men.

"You shall",  _he_ pardoned him after a grilling moment and Draco was out the room before anyone could say otherwise, off to extract some more memories from his head.

 

 

 

Harry stared at his galleon anxiously.

Draco had told him not to leave on 27th but once Harry'd asked why, no answer came for many minutes.

He stalked the length of his room with annoyance at everything really, weighting on his mind. He had known this was not a good idea, Hermione had known, Ron had given consent - but no one listened!

The coin heated and Harry snatched it back up again with such haste he dropped it to the ground. Cursing loudly, he bent down to get it. 

_He knows - it's strange you gotta believe me, Snape found me out - and figures - he worked on D's orders!! Has still some mission - we talked, he didn't rat me when he caught me messaging u._

Harry stared at the longest string of messages that the coin had ever showed and took a shaky step back. Snape had.. followed Dumbledore's orders? What the hell!!? Who in their right minds would ask someone to kill them?? But then his thoughts took him back to that night, to those words the Headmaster had said. 

_"Please. Severus, please."_

It was plead - a plead to kill, not to save.

Harry fell on top of his bed, staring straight ahead with a strange feeling coursing in him.

Why? Was the prominent question in his mind. Why had they done so, and not told him anything? But then again, it was so Dumbledore not to tell him until he saw fit.

 _What should I do then?_ he sent back and laid down on the bed, letting Malfoy do the thinking - he was apparently better at it anyway. 

_Either inform the order and they get you out on another day or run away under your cloak - it's pretty special if my memory serves right. But **don't** under any circumstances use magic when the Trace is on you. They track it in the Ministry and He has it under control - no apparition, anything. Unless you have a house elf - it  **could** work if you gave specific enough orders to it to not let the Trace notice, because it send info of any magic done around you. But still, I suggest the cloak. Like no one would believe you'd walk out of there to a safe place, or flew, if that works._

And the longest length limit from earlier was broken.

Harry stared at the words and thought hard.

The Order.. would never let him walk out - they'd **never** let him attempt it, much less think about it.

But then Harry thought to Kreacher - how he'd managed to apparate away from places even Dumbledore could not, from Hogwarts and thought they could make it - Harry Potter and his House Elf, fooling everyone and running off.

He laughed at the thought and swirled the galleon in his fingers. He should set off as fast as possible - maybe tomorrow if he got everything ready - because believe it or not - he was going to do this rationally. 

_Thanks. Will figure something out._

He sent to Malfoy and picked out another coin he'd had the mind to make - or ask Hermione to make and and changed the message in it to read:  _Get me something to store all my stuff. Kreacher coming._

And then he said a command aloud and hoped the elf would hear it all: "Kreacher I command you to go to Hermione and get from her something to me and then apparate outside this house and walk inside, NO apparating here."

No pop's sounded and Harry heaved sigh of relief. This should be alright. The coin heated up with words. 

_Why? Oh Kreacher's here.. Tell me, Harry!_

Repeated on the coin and Harry sent back:  _I don't want to get my trunk with me._

He hoped it would be believable enough to get him out of here before a fleet of Order members came and made him stay. Perhaps he _should_ leave today already.

Harry walked down, knowing Kreacher would be coming soon. Then he met Dudley there, looking at him like an alien.

"Why are you downstairs?" he asked Harry, who walked to the door, "Why are you walking to the door?"

Harry turned back right when a knock sounded.

"I've got a guest to come over. I'm leaving tonight - I'll make sure you are sent to safety, too."

And he opened the door in front of a stater Dudley, standing there mouth agape when the door opened and a wrinkled house elf by the name Kreacher stood there with a rucksack in hand.

"Master asked for Kreacher", he greeted Harry, "And Kreacher has what master wanted."

Dudley backed off to the living room, looking on in fear.

"Come in Kreacher, quick", Harry said and let the small elf in. He hoped no one saw that.

He went up to his room and Kreacher followed behind, looking around curiously.

"This is where master lives?" he asked in his rough voice.

"Not for long", Harry said and stepped aside to let Kreacher in, "We're leaving tonight actually. To the Burrow."

Now Kreacher looked up, surprised.

"Why, Kreacher thought master's friends would escort master to safety?"

"That's the thing - they can't - so I'll be in your care, Kreacher", Harry said rather kindly and smiled at him.

Kreacher stood there, frozen on the spot before he started crying and sobbing: "Master trusts Kreacher.. How happy Kreacher is!"

Harry smiled fondly at him, thinking how wrong everyone had been about him and looked around at all the junk he had.

"Come on then, Kreacher. We have stuff to do - oh right, What's that Hermione got you?"

Kreacher sneezed loudly to his shirt and displayed Harry with the rucksack.

"She gave Kreacher a bottomless back to fit all of master's belongings - was rather nosy about why, too. But Kreacher said nothing", he said and handed Harry the pack. Harry curiously looked in, then put his hand in and it went on longer than possible. He grinned wildly.

"Wicked! Let's get packing then."

It had just gone dark outside when Kreacher had appeared at Privet Drive, but now, an hour later, it was definitely pitch-black.  Harry stared at his now empty room and at the pack in his hands and laughed; it really fit.

He only had his cloak and Firebolt with him, Hedwig was set free to fly to the Burrow.

Kreacher stood there waiting and Harry's laughter died down.

He looked around the room and felt nostalgia bite at him - it had been so long, his whole life that he'd lived here. First under the stairs but then in this room, with the Dursley's. And now it was time to go. He hadn't even had time to really think about it since his departure came so early, but now.. It was time to say goodbye.

Harry walked down, Kreacher in tow and asked him to stay in the front hall - they'd not take a house elf well, Harry knew. The whole family was there, sitting a bit rigidly in the living room.

"Dudley says you're leaving", Vernon stated before Harry had time to say anything. Harry merely nodded, looking at them all.

"I am. It appears the enemy know when I was going to leave so I decided to leave earlier with my house elf. I'll send someone to take you to safety and you  _will go_ , as I've stated many times - the enemy'll come here swarming otherwise when the blood wards break."

Uncle Vernon looked positively negative but gave a rough nod. A silence settled when they only watched each other in awkward atmosphere.

"But", Dudley started saying, looking uncomfortable, "Why aren't we leaving together?"

Vernon snapped: "Oh course we won't - he wont' want to. You don't, right?"

"I definitely don't", Harry stated.

Still Dudley looked at him, troubled: "But where are you going?"

"To his people of course!" Vernon stated, annoyed.

"Yeah, I'm going to them - I'm just a waste of space with you anyway", Harry said, a bit bitterly but was surprised when Dudley spoke up: "I don't think you're a waste of space."

And blushed. Harry stared on, not believing his eyes if he hadn't seen Dudley speak.

"Ehm - thanks, Dudley", he stammered and was a bit flushed himself, too.

"You saved my life", Dudley explained and curled up in himself the more he spoke.

"Well, technically not - it's your soul they would have taken", Harry said, flabbergasted.

He hadn't realized Dudley cared about him.

"Ahem.. anyway.. I should be going now. Stay here if you want to live and wait for the Order. I don't know when they come - we've gone over this. Well... Bye:"

And Harry turned around and walked to Kreacher waiting there for him, his backpack in his small shoulders. He had been adamant on carrying it.

"Let's go then", Harry said and slipped the Cloak over them both and the Firebolt in his hand, Kreacher was piggybacking him to fit them underneath well. He opened the door and stepped outside before quickly closing the door.

No jinxes coming their way - good.

Harry walked on, to the little park where he finally mounted his Firebolt and set off into the air. Kreacher was his map and they set off to the Burrow, flying low to avoid anyone seeing Harry from under the cloak. It worked well because it was night time and they avoided crowded areas and once in the countryside, Harry kept weaving between trees and flying over fields. He was dressed for the occasion, so it was not unpleasant either. When they neared the Burrow, hours later, Kreacher moved in Harry's back and said: "There are wards ahead; strong wards, no flying through them."

Harry halted next to the wards, Kreacher knew where they were and messaged Hermione, slightly dreading the lesson he was going to get for doing this. 

_Outside Burrow. Let me in, please.._

He hadn't needed to wait long for Hermione's reply. 

_What!? Harry! You!! Wait there!_

It appeared she was so frazzled her emotions mixed with the words.

Soon a figure came running seemingly out of nowhere a bit to his right and Harry recognized it as Remus. He heaved a sigh in relief.

"Harry?" his soft voice sounded and Harry walked closer.

"Right here, Professor Lupin", he said and walked closer, touching his arm.

Lupin grabbed him and walked him over the wards before speaking: "What was in my office the first time you were there?"

Harry looked at him funnily but answered anyway: "A grindylow in an akvarium, I guess."

Lupin sighed heavily in relief and asked, looking weathered: "What in the world were you thinking, Harry?"

Harry shook the Cloak off and Kreacher on his back became visible to Lupin, who stared at the elf for a long minute.

"I'll explain once everyone's there - I guess you are all just waiting to scold me, anyway. Best do it so everyone can have a turn", he said and started walking to the lit Burrow further on.

Lupin sighed and followed.

"Yeah, that might be better", he muttered.

Once they were out the door, Harry was crushed in a tight hug by Hermione.

"Harry! You stupid, reckless boy!" she shouted at him, while hugging the life out of him. Harry laughed a little despite the stern looks all around. It was all the Weasley's as well as Tonks and Fleur staring all kinds of daggers at him, Harry smiled abashed.

"Wait up - I'll explain it all - I had a very good reason and help, see Kreacher's here? He was ordered to keep us out of trouble by using magic if it needed it - and we didn't. I know I can't for.. I don't know why but apparently I can't. Anyways.. Eh.. I like.. got this information Voldemort knew when I was going to be moved, the right day I mean, and.. Then was told not to use magic and instead ask for help from you or come under my Cloak, which I wouldn't have thought to use. Also, they said to use Kreacher because apparently house elves are quite amazing."

Everyone stared at him gobsmacked, if not also worried.

"You said.. you got information - from where?" Lupin asked by his side and Harry looked guilty.

"I can't tell you that. It would endanger them, gravely. But I know it to be true. Otherwise I wouldn't have just up and left", he said and the silence continued in front of the door before Mrs Weasley huffed and took him by the arm, leading him on to the living room.

"Now, now. Don't just stand there, let the boy sit down. Flying here from there? Just recklessness.." She muttered to herself and they all congregated to the living room.

"Who let  _him_ in on the information, Harry? Do you know?" Mr Weasley asked gravely once they had sat down, Kreacher by Harry side.

Hermione bet him to answering.

"It was Snape, wasn't it? He's the only one who would have known", she said and all eyes trained on her before fleeting over to Harry, who nodded.

"Yeah, it was Snape", he simply said simply: it wouldn't do for anyone to know of Snape still being a double agent.

"So you just  _flew_ over here? Right under everyone's noses? With your house elf" one of the twins asked, obviously interested and a big toothy grin on their faces.

Harry smiled a little, not able to hide it, deep down very proud of himself.

"Yeah I did. Kreacher on my back leading me and flying my Firebolt. No one noticed a thing, really."

"That is actually quite dexterous", Lupin allowed by his other side, offering a slight smile before it grimmed, "But also dangerous if someone had seen."

"I had Kreacher"; Harry said simply, "He would have kept me safe."

Everyone's eyes now trained on the little, withered elf, sitting by Harry's side looking very proud.

"Kreacher would have", he said in a throaty voice and added, "Given the order Kreacher could have done anything without alerting the Trace. Such mere magic is nothing compared to Elf Magic."

And everyone just stared.

"You did well, Kreacher. Thank you", Hermione said kindly, smiling at him. Kreacher didn't look affronted by a 'mudblood' talking to him anymore. He was rather fond of Hermione now, in fact.

"Well, it was good we had our coins", Hermione said again, "Without them you wouldn't have been able to get in."

"Oh right", Harry said, remembering something he had thought about while flying here earlier, "I think we should give one to you, too Professor Lupin. So we could always stay in touch if something like this happens again."

Lupin looked baffled but also kind of proud to have been the one Harry turned to.

"Of course, that's a brilliant idea, Harry", he said smiling warmly at him. Harry smiled brightly and relaxed on the couch, feeling it was good again. That was when Tonks leaned in from Lupin's other side and dangeled her hand in front of Harry's face, grining widely.

"Guess what, Harry?"

Harry stared at the ring glittering on her finger and a the most wonderful smile crept onto his face as he turned to Tonks and Lupin.

"You got married! Wow, that's amazing!"

Tonks grinned brightly while Lupin said apologetically: "I'm sorry you couldn't be there; it was too dangerous. Only few were, it was a small reception."

Harry shook his head and said: "No problem, I understand."

He then said one more thing he'd thought about: "I don't think we should tell anyone just yet I ran away without anyone knowing. Let's get the Dursley's out first and only then tell that I ran away because I didn't want to endanger anyone else - that's quite like me, isn't it?"

And he laughed a little and saw everyone looking all kinds of amused and annoyed by the fact it very much was so. Mr Weasley nodded to his words, looking contemplative.

"We should just keep quiet now - I don't think your trace will be noticed here, as we have Ginny here, too. Now what about your house elf?"

Harry looked to Kreacher.

"Do you wanna go back to Hogwarts? Or stay here?" he asked him.

Kreacher looked up to Harry and said in a polite crumble: "Whatever master wants Kreacher to do."

Harry laughed and said: "No, I'm asking what  _you_ want to do. Stay or leave?"

Kreacher looked around then and turned to Mrs Weasley: "If the Burrow's Mrs needs Kreacher's help Kreacher will stay."

Mrs Weasley actually beamed at this.

"Oh this is just wonderful - oh, right, you don't know Harry dear, but we have something big coming up! Bill and Fleur are getting married in a week! So much to do, Kreacher you would be very much needed."

And she smiled warmly at him, Kreacher nodding and looking a bit joyful. 

 

 

A few days later Harry got the notice Voldemort knew he had ran away, but not via his galleon with Malfoy, but through a more painful notion.

His scar hurt with that stinging pain again, in the light of day and he saw his fury at the news, the covering Death Eater who told him crouching on the ground and looking ready to die of a heart attack. 

 _The boy **ran away!!**  _Voldemort yelled, turning to another wall, where a fleet of Death Eaters were trying to stop existing. 

_Severus.. How did this happen? You told me he would depart on Saturday._

Snape stepped forth, looking tense but also dismal. 

 _Potter is an obscure factor,_ Snape sneered,  _I wouldn't put it past him to run away just because he heard something from the Order that they would be in danger because of him. He is very reckless. I'm sorry I couldn't predict this better, but I trusted the Order to keep him in the silence until the departure day came._

Voldemort stared at Snape for a long moment, before senfing a long _crucio_ his way before signaling the trembling man away with an impatient wave of his hand. His anger also lessened and Harry saw no more.

He found himself sitting on the floor of the stairs, huffing and clutching his forehead.

Snape was a bloody good actor if he really was a double agent still, Harry had to admit and he went to tell Ron and Hermione.

Only, it was hard to get them all to stay uninterrupted in a same space, because Mrs Weasley didn't want them to conspirate to leave the Burrow.

They were leaving, though, it was clear, but only after Bill and Fleur's wedding.

 

 

 

Draco fell to his bed after one more maddening ward practice session with  _him_.

It was maddening because still his wards were being disintegrated so easily while it took him almost twice the time to disentangle the Dark Lord's wards. Nonetheless, he must be doing acceptably, because he was still alive, Draco thought as his eyes fell closed.

He woke up again after sleeping so well he felt he hadn't in a long time. He leisurely opened his eyes and rubbed at them before turning over to get up when he saw a dark figure standing over his bed and yelped, falling back to the bed.

"My Lord", Draco hastily addressed the man standing there, looking expressionless.

"You missed a meeting Draco", he said calmly and Draco paled, all sleep gone from his head now that he was woken up to a monster waiting for him.

"I did?" he asked, horrified. Oh no.. This wasn't going to be good..

"You did. I guess I drove you a bit too hard yesterday. But it is good you are rested. There is work to do", You-know-Who said and grinned a little, a wicked smile that made shivers run down Draco's back.

"What can I do?" Draco asked, shuffling with his sheets, thinking if he should get up from bed or not. Not that the man seemed to care.

"You will show everyone just how good you are at disentangling wards, Draco.. The Ministry will fall today and Potter will be ours", he said, a dark look on snake-like face, eyes glowing in excited red.

"Now get up. I've a gift for you."

Draco scampered up and stood there in his boxers, feeling more than a little ashamed when  _he_ lifted his wand and a dark black cloak and robes materialized in front of him and dressed Draco up before he even saw what was happening. It had a big hood that covered his face from view - Death Eater robes.

He caught a sickening grin from underneath the hood and then there was the order: "Let's go Draco. It's a fine day, today."

Draco followed, the galleon forgotten under his pillow. He turned his thoughts away from it fast, so as not to give anything away, although he had his lately strengthened occlumency barriers up. Snape had gone by and given a lesson of his own, making Draco look up to at the man even more.

 

Draco stood in the side of a field in the countryside, the Dark Lord by his side, waiting for the signal from their fellows at the Ministry.

It was a fine day, sunny and clear, birds singing and no sign of death anywhere - yet.

He was more than nervous, but stood straight, not letting it show. He saw how his Lord looked to the side where a Death Eater apparated and smiled.

"Come now, Draco. It's your turn to show your worth", was his cue to get moving.

Draco did, with no hesitation, he'd known this was coming since waiting here for a few hours. He lifted his wand and felt the wards around all again before starting the rigorous task of setting them off, his Lord by the side doing the same, although faster, on different wards than Draco was disentangling the best he could. They bent surprisingly easily, if he had to say something about it. Like these were made from wool while the Dark Lord's were iron.

It was over before it had even really begun and the wards disappeared in a shimmer. Voldemort smiled.

"Let me get the boy, no killing, today."

And they departed, Draco huffing a little from the effort of making it possible. He almost halted in his steps when he noticed it wasn't just Potter and the Weasley's there, but a giant number of people, assumingly at a wedding..

They were crashing a wedding.

Draco wanted to groan, but kept on going with everyone. Just when they were about to get there, a chaos erupted in the crowd - someone had no doubt warned them they were coming. A bit too late, though.

And  _he_ was here. It was bound to get tricky.

Some people started running, others apparated, some set up temporary wards that were like air to the Dark Lord, zooming in on to the scene before disappearing suddenly, no doubt having sniffed Potter somewhere. Draco kept disentangling the wards and letting the Death Eaters further. He could only hope his Lord didn't finish Potter off.

"Draco!" a sudden shout of a Death Eater shook him a little, "Start casting a disapparition ward! His orders!"

Draco stilled and swallowed, before pointing his wand up with a shaking hand. 

 _Potter better get out before I cast this.._ He prayed deep in his mind and started casting in his usual pace weaving it all together while people diminished before them all the time. He pointed his wand up and willed the field to cover the entire house, before snapping his wand a little; a shout was heard in the crowd.

The net fell on top of them and stopped the rest from disappearing.

A presence; that's all it could be called, descended on them right then, choking the air and stealing the light in its fathomless rage that intensified in an ear-shattering scream of hatred: "Potter!"

Draco swayed on his feet a little at the sound and saw all the others cover before it, too.

There was nothing more deadly than the bellow of the Dark Lord when his prey slipped from his fingers.

Once again.

It wasn't fancy being a Death Eater that day.

 

 

 

Harry sat on a couch in Grimmauld Place, eyes staring at the hands of Ron and Hermione, all but linked together.

It hadn't been easy to get out of the Burrow. They were just running past the crowd of scared people when _he_ appeared there, looming over them all, standing in the air,  _flying_.

His red eyes locked in on Harry and the people ran all the more wildly, pushing him like a hot potato further and further from them, wanting nothing but out from under the Darkest Lord in history.

Harry had brandished his wand and continued getting to Ron and Hermione,  _he_ coming in closer, raising a different wand from his usual, a shot of green on top of it already, when Harry's wand had started on its own, swirling around in his hand and sending a sparkle of golden flames right at Voldemort's new wand, shattering it into pieces.

Harry saw the murder in those red eyes as they locked with his green, heard the shout in anger, felt Hermione's hand in his and then..

then they apparated away - apparently right when anti-apparition wards fell on place, according to Lupin, who visited them after the ordeal.

Voldemort had been furious, causing another trip to his mind as his scar throbbed painfully. The object of that fury had been Ollivarder, whose advice on changing the wand was not enough.

Harry had been baffled why Draco hadn't informed him of this attack, but the explanation came later that evening, after an excruciating hour with an enraged Dark Lord on the blonde's part, that he had slept over a meeting, waking up to find Voldemort standing over his bed.

Harry would have laughed if it hadn't disturbed him so much.

Just like those all-but-joined hands disturbed him - he was happy for them, but.. He, Harry dind't have someone like that to share his hand with. It made him sad and he ventured deeper into the house, thinking to what they were up to next - infiltrating the Ministry and stealing the Locket from Umbridge.

He couldn't wait taking something from that ugly toad and perhaps leaving something bad in its wake.

 

 

It was hell. Harry was pale and breathing hard on something uncomfortable.

He heard Ron's painful little noises and fought to get up. They had the locket, but had lost Grimmauld Place at the same time as a Death Eater had side-along-apparated with them to the door.

"Kreacher", Harry called, remembering the elf was there. It popped next to him, looking frazzled, but okay. Harry sighed in relief and finally got his body to work and turn to Ron. He was laying on the ground in a puddle of blood. Hermione was frantic next to him, covering a wound on his side with two hands.

"Get me something from my purse, Harry! Quick! Essence of Dittany. Ron got splinched!"

Harry jumped to the purse, rummaging through it before getting his wand and saying: " _Accio essence of Dittany!_ "

A tiny bottle flew to his hand and he handed it to Hermione, who started applying it carefully, while Ron whined in pain. Soon Hermione drew back and Harry saw how the skin started growing back visibly and relaxed.

"Where are we?" he asked, then, not knowing from just looking.

"The Forest of Dean", Hermione said tiredly. Harry nodded and looked to the Locket in his hand, Kreacher's eyes flew to it, too, widening.

"Master Regulus' locket", he whispered, almost reverently.

Harry nodded and said: "We got it, but we also accidentally lead someone to Grimmauld Place. Better destroy it now?"

Harry asked and Hermione nodded her consent while Ron mumbled: "That's what I got splinched for, do it Harry."

Harry nodded and took a basilisk fang from the purse, set the locket on the ground and looked at it for a while, before deciding it needed to be spoken parseltongue for it to open.

" _Open_ ", he hissed and the locket flew open, a brown eye looking at him from there anxiously, like knowing end was near and it started to rotate some black gassy thing around.

Harry swallowed a little, but steeled himself and swung the fang down on the glassy surface before it had time to do anything; it wasn't like he hadn't done so earlier already, only then it was a diary and not a eye he pierced..

A screech sounded in the air and black liquid flowed from the locket, leaving it broken 'beyond magical repair'.

Kreacher started sniffing, happy he had finally witnessed the locket getting destroyed.

One down, three to go, Harry thought and reclined back on the grass, worn down by the day.

 

 

 

They lived in forests after that, changing place after one or two days, never stopping.

Hermione knew the wards to cast to keep them relatively safe, even that blasted  _muffliato_ that Snape had apparently invented. Well, anything to keep them safe.

Kreacher was a big help while he was there, but Harry sent him back to Hogwarts when they did nothing but camp and try to figure out what to do next.

Some days were rather good.. others.. not so.

All their nerves were sprung tight, Ron's especially.

It went on for weeks, really, with them only in hiding.

It was the worst, to hide and do nothing.

Until one day Ron snapped and left them to go back home. Then it was only Harry and Hermione.

Christmas was coming nearer now, too.

She always left little messages to Ron that they were somewhere, but he never came back. Her heart was hurting, bad, but she prevailed. She had to.

Hermione had a feeling they were both a bit heartbroken. Harry looked at his map often days; The Marauder's Map. Trailing the name's walking there, like theirs should have been.

If she didn't know better, she'd say he was looking for Ginny, but she did. He was trailing another name, periodically disappearing from the surface. Their secret benefactor. Hermione had to admit she'd been gobsmacked when Harry had said why he'd run away from Privet Drive. She wouldn't have believed that from Malfoy, the guts to spy for them. It had helped them many times already, though, so she could only give her regards to the Slytherin for a job well done.

Hermione went to Harry side and saw him flinch a little in surprise.

"Can I see, too?" she asked and sat down.

Harry smiled a bit and shared the Map with her.

Together they sat and watched how everyone else was living a normal a life as possible.

Snape's name could be seen on the Map, too, disappearing sometimes at the same time as Malfoy's. Hermione turned to Harry, to see him calm. Strange, she thought and stared at the Map. Maybe there was another secret Harry wasn't telling her.

Maybe they had more spies than one.

 

 

 

One wouldn't recognize Draco Malfoy from the boy he had been last year, sickly and pale, terrorized, to the one walking the corridors of Hogwarts now.

His head held high, back straight and the clothes immaculate.

\- Well, those were the same as always, but his  _disposition_ had changed; there was a confidence to his step that once stemmed from his father but now from his own abilities, a relaxation, a _determination_.

He looked good, too, healthy and pale, pale as always.

His absence of fear did miracles to the boy.

And his  _magic_. It was marvelous, controlled and refined, natural - but powerful. The hours of practice with his three special teachers had clearly paid of. Draco had grown and changed. He kept to himself mostly, avoiding the cruel feats of his peer Death Eaters running the school. They never did anything to him - didn't dare to. After the fiasco of wedding crashing, they all knew how good he was, how much the Dark Lord appreciated him.

The Dark Lord who he was going to have the Christmas with, or Yule as the wizards called the celebration.

Dueling with the best had honed Draco's skills to perfection, as harsh practice often did. Even aunt Bella had to concentrate while dueling with him. That was partly why..  _he_ had started to duel with Draco, too. Only occasionally, to check how good he had become.

 

This was one of such occasions.

They were in an empty room in the Malfoy Mansion, facing each other wands raised, gazes concentrated, once more another wand in his Lord's grasp, this one familiar.

Draco remembered the fact how Potter had told it to be the Elder Wand, _Dumbledore's_ wand.

The Death Stick.

The strongest wand in existence. 

_His._

It was a disquieting notion.

Draco had noticed it, too, how the Wand seemed to be even more sentient, more thirsty to show off, brimming with power.

It forced him to do his best not to be hexed right now.

Draco cast a wordless  _proteco,_ stepped aside behind it and shot a wordless hex  _his_ way before firing another in quick succession and changing places, all the while hoping he was being fast enough.

He wasn't.

A glaring red jinx flew his way, filling his chest with dread.

Draco dropped down, not caring how foolish it must look like and cast a hex before rolling, sneaking a peak at the Dark Lord casually throwing the hex off of him, before leisurely pointing that godforsaken wand at his blonde head.

Draco wanted to curse, but kept on rolling on the floor in desperation, casting a small net with his wand at the same time, before shoving it at  _him_ and hastily getting to his feet like Snape had taught him to do, firing another hex, knowing exactly where to cast because  _he_ never moved, only Draco running around for his life.

He was huffing, getting impatient at not getting  _anywhere_ but rolling on the floor helplessly or running around and casting a  _proteco_ after  _proteco._  

And of course,  _he_ saw his growing discomfort and dared to laugh.

Draco bit his lip while staying behind a  _proteco_ and cast a simple but a worth it jinx Snape had taught him, too. The man had a plethora of self-invented spells at his repertoire, now some in Draco's, too.

Afterwards, just so to go Harry style, well no, truthfully, Draco remembered their second year in Hogwarts, and how Snape had flung Lockhart off like the piece of impostor he was, against the wall

and actually  _yelled_ which he never did anymore: " _Expelliarmus!_ "

A shot of red fired after the bluff jinx, buzzing with power,  _he_ raised his wand in that leisure movement,

but, against all odds,

the spell wasn't broken, it **hit**   _him_ ,

swinging 

The Wand,

the Elder Wand,

straight into Draco's hand, which caught it without his mind's consent.

 

Draco stared at the wand in his hand, buzzing with power and almost purring in wonder, before he remembered where it had come from and slowly, as if the Time had frozen still, turned his silvery eyes to stare at the wizard a few feet from him, staring at The Wand in Draco's hand like it was the most impossible thing in the whole world.

 

Until..

 

those red, red eyes lifted to meet silver.

 

Draco saw his own murder there, in those blazing irises, screaming  _vengeance,_ _murder,_ _retribution!_  

 

And the incantation the Dark Lord didn't need a wand to perform forming on pale lips

 

\- Draco swallowed painfully, dread filling even his toes. 

 

 _Oh, shit_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, like,  
> I'm sorry..? Again?  
> This was my best bet in chopping up the chapters.. :P
> 
> Just like I gotta had Kreacher runaway with Harry!! *hearts as eyes*
> 
> When You're Evil - Voltaire
> 
> Thanks as always!  
> Riza xx


	6. Don't Let Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't Let Go - The Tech Thieves
> 
> The one before the hardest chapter ever to write, delivered to you. 
> 
> Wish me luck! Because I'll be needing it.. I'll post the next one as soon as I write it, which is a mystery. Too much stuff coming up for the weekend /*-*\ :`/
> 
> Monday's the deadline, though! So.. yeah.. I'll just keep on writing
> 
> Riza xx

 

_Oh shit._

 

_Oh shit, oh shit, OH SHIT!!!_

 

Draco's eyes flew open when he saw the start of an incantation meant for his demise.

His mind blacked out complete, but his body.. did not..

The Wand commanded him, flew his arm up towards the ceiling, the Elder Wand pointing there and shooting a blinding shot of light up.. up into the sky.

The next thing Draco knew, he was apparating away.

Leaving the Mansion, the nefarious red ready to murder him, his mother. His parents. Draco's eyes flew open in fear.

He left.

And left them there.

 

_Oh shit, oh shit, OH SHIT!!!_

 

Now his mind was working overtime, badly so.

He, Draco Malfoy had the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in history. Apparently, it belonged to him, and not  _him._

Oh shit. He had to go back.

But he could not just hand it over to a Dark Lord ready to murder them all, now could he?

Harry!!

Potter would save him! He was the freaking supposed Chosen One..

Right at the second his feet touched the ground, Draco pulled out the galleon and magicked words to it as fast as he'd glanced to where he even was.

Hogsmweade, right out of Hogsmeade.

Great. Okay then.

 _POTTER! HOGSMEADE's north exit. NOW!!_  

Draco started walking and thinking, thinking hard.

What would he say to the damn man? Oh, sorry, didn't mean to steal your wand!?

Wouldn't cut it.

Ah, he would say he wasn't the owner, that it could only come by killing the earlier, and.. Snape had killed Dumbledore! And when he returned, without memories of this in the top of his brain,  _he_ would believe him. Draco just had to cast the right protection charms on him to stop immediate death upon arriving back.

Easy piece.

A crack sounded to his left and Draco's head jerked up.

A head full of curly black hair appeared and Draco snagged him immediately and set up some privacy wards. Best be someone saw them..

"Potter! Great, you're here!" he said, just as the last wards were in place.

"Now: disarm me."

Potter looked at him like he'd lost it, stammering something about  _What is this? Why that message?_ and all shit like that Draco had no time for.

"Shut up already and disarm me!  _Expelliarmus!_ That spell could as well have your name written on it!" Draco all but yelled, frustrated Potter didn't listen.

He only stared dumbly and Draco sighed, lifting The Wand up for Potter to see clearly. It was quite comical to see those familiar green eyes round like that.

"Get it? So fucking  _disarm me already!_ " Draco coaxed, yelled, whatever to get Potter to take action.

Which he, thank Merlin, did.

The Wand, the freaking wand, flew from his fingers to Potter and Draco sighed in relief.

"Give it back now, I gotta go back, the fucking Dark Lord waits there ready to fucking murder me.." Draco babbled, not hysteric, only slightly anxious, should he say.

Potter didn't seem to think the same. He definitely thought Draco was hysteric or perhaps crazy - or both, who knew?

Because the Chosen One grabbed his hands and stilled them to his sides. Draco hadn't even noticed he was wringing them.

"Slow down!" Potter said slowly, almost yelling.

"What happened?" he asked, looking all baffled and curious.

"I disarmed  _him_. By accident. We were dueling. He was a second away from murdering me. This fucking _wand_ broke the wards around us and apparated me here. I panicked. Called you. Am going back to save my parents", Draco listed and it did calm him down.

Stupid Potter, being right.

And now he looked at Draco funnily.

"You disarmed  _him_ _?_ " he asked, incredulous. Draco nodded.

"The scariest thing I've ever done"; he said, nodding.

"Apparently I was the true master of that fucker", a nod to the Elder wand, "But now it's you so I should be okay. Gonna blame it all on Snape if he asks, which he won't 'cos I'm fabulous. Now let me  _go_ , Potter. Speed is a thrill when dealing with murderous Dark Lords."

Harry looked up at Draco worriedly.

"You'll be alright?"

"Don't really know. Best hope so. Oh, right. Hold this."

And Draco conjured up a small glass bottle, have it to Potter, pointed his own wand to his temple and grimaced a little. A silvery smoke followed the wand to the bottle and settled there. Draco sighed in relief.

"That should do it."

 

 

 

Harry watched at the white memory whirling in the bottle and then to the blonde before him.

They hadn't seen each other in so long time it seemed like a dream they were here now, standing face to face. And Draco was going off to possibly die.

Harry didn't want him to let go of his arm, where those pale fingers were wrapped around on. He wanted him to stay.

The words were already on top of his tongue, ready to burst open:  _Dont' let go. Stay_. But he swallowed them when the anxious look deep in silver was the only thing in his eyes. His hand grapped onto a fine white robe, though, stilling the blonde.

Who finally _looked_ at him, another emotion flashing in silver and then sighed an unreadable expression on sculpted features: "Another memory then."

And Harry was drewn to the taller blonde with one strong hand, the other holding a wand next to near-white curls.

Draco kissed him full on, no need to be fine and dandy, months of dampened flames bursting in that moment between them, evoking the kiss to a hot, fiery blaze. Growing hotter and hotter with tongues tasting, entangling wantonly, until Draco pulled away, biting Harry's lip as he went.

The wand tip lifted another silvery sphere, dragging it to the bottle in Harry's hand, clutching it unconsciously.

Draco stepped back, cast some sort of charm on top of him with the Elder Wand, smiled that infuriating grin of his and was gone the next second. Harry was sure he heard a silent 'missed you' before the blonde disappeared.

Harry's hand was still lifted, going for that blonde boy, sadness settling in his eyes. His hand fell lifelessly to the side. He sighed. Apparated back to their current camp site. Not really comprehending what had happened.

Hermione was there, in their wards, looking for him anxiously. She flew out with Ron in tow, looking all Hermione in her worry and sudden hugs. Harry answered that hug gladly, missing the warmth of another so quickly taken from him. By being in her soft arms, his determination came bursting back. _He'd get that hand in his again. By winning this godforsaken war._

"Harry! Where ever did you just disappear to?" she asked him, after letting go.

Harry smiled a bit lopsidedly, rubbed at his head and said: "Ehm.. an emergency with that informant of mine. I don't still really get that happened, let's go in and I'll tell you what I know."

Hermione fell silent right at that and drew him in, Ron looking all baffled. Yeah, he was back, came a few weeks back when they found the real Gryffindor Sword in a lake. It was good to have, too, as it some sort of legally belonged to Harry and could cut Horcruxes as well, as they learned from Phineas Black. Harry explained what he could and waching in distant amusement as their eyes rounded up sillily.

"He disarmed You-Know-Who?" Hermione gasped, a hand landing on her mouth.

"And made  _you_ the real master of it?"

Harry nodded before joking: "So no one better disarm me now or they will have to defeat  _him_."

Ron looked speechless.

"How good a dueler must one be to disarm You-Know-Who? I'd like to meet the guy.." he said and looked awed.

Harry chuckled inside. If he only knew..

That's when he remembered.

"Oh fuck!"

"What now Harry?" Hermione was on him again, full of worry.

"No, nothing bad", Harry said, holding her off, "It's just - I've been so stupid - like how could I forget such a detail?"

Now her eyebrows furrowed.

"Forget what, Harry?"

"Bellatrix. I bloody forgot she apparently has one of  _his_ horcruxes", Harry groaned, wanting to smack his head like Dobby all those years ago.

Ron looked gobsmacked now: "And where did you hear that? Oh -- don't say -- that bloody informant. Bloody hell, he seems to know everything."

Harry smiled slightly at Ron's mumblings.

"He's just in the right circles to hear stuff we need."

Hermione looked contemplative and sat back down on a chair in the tent, her silence silencing him ad Ron, too.

"She wouldn't keep it with her - I bet it's in Gringotts", she finally slowly said.

Ron groaned out loud.

"Now we're breaking in to Gringotts, _too_? Bloody hell..." he wailed.

Harry shared his feelings completely.

"We do what we have to. But I doubt it'll be possible without her with us. Or her wand at least, to show the goblins she's real so they open her vault", Hermione said that thinking look still on her features.

 

 

 

Draco popped back to the manor only about five minutes after his hasty leave. The apparition wards were still off, so he went straight to the room which  _he_ still inhabited.

A low growl was heard the moment red eyes locked into him.

Draco gulped and bowed hastily before saying: "My Lord! Stay your hand! Stay your hand, I beg you! Or I could just leave again with your only hope to vanquish Potter."

The last bit was unnecessary, Draco thought and grimaced.

"I know I did wrong; it's just; my mind blanked out, making me leave when you were a second away from murdering me! Anybody would do so.. What I mean is, this was an accident, caused by my frowzy spelling and a jinx I couldn't quite comprehend!"

Draco dared a look up to see the red now being curious, but still brimming with burning hit anger, too.

"That jinx before the disarming spell was an invention of Professor Snape's - it must have jinxed the wand somehow to not respond, which resulted in it flowing to me. So I apologize for practising an unknown jinx while practicing!" Draco said and bowed again.

"You came back right away? After your mind cleared?" Voldemort asked, inquiring casually, but Draco heard the underlining there.

"Yes, My Lord. Only, I cast a protection charm over myself, just in case I was met with a curse upon returning", Draco said, standing up now.

"My Wand, Draco", was his only reply.

Draco quickly walked to him, handed the Elder Wand with both hands and stepped back. A red light hit him so fast Draco could do nothing.

His own wand flew away easily, landing in a bony hand.

Voldemort swirled The Wand in his hands, checking to see if it worked the same, after noticing such threw Draco's wand back to him.

"It was a good choice to come back Draco",  _his_ voice was a threat which Draco of course understood.

"It was my first thought once I noticed I had apparated away, My Lord. But I value my life too. How else could I serve you?"

A simple nod was his cue to leave, their dueling finished.

Once Draco was out of the room, his knees gave in and he slumped to the floor, perspiration flowing freely down his body.

The air..

the air in the room had been hellish.

It was full of vengeful, wrathful magic wreaking havoc everywhere. It had taken all his calmness and occlumency practice to stay standing there. Draco's healthy fear and respect for his master rose again. The man was powerful, no doubt.

 

 

 

The trio had a problem: no matter how much they planned they couldn't seem to get anywhere with trying to brake into Gringotts. The problem was always her wand.

Hair they could get from Harry's informant easily, blood would be tricky but possible.. but her wand. It was bound to be noticed.

"We need to confront her", Hermione said once again one day, after they had visited Mr Lovegood and barely escaped.

"It's doing nothing that we keep hiding. We  _need_ to destroy it."

"So what do you say?" Ron asked, offhandedly, "Waltz up to the Malfoy Manor and ask politely: Oi, Bellatrix Lestrange, will you lend us your wand? While a dozen Death Eaters look on?"

"How about we let them catch us?" Harry said from the side, starting both of his friends, "Without letting them know it's us. You said there's a taboo on  _his_ name, right? How about we use it, charm ourselves and make them take us there. We could get close to her that way. Otherwise we would get caught by the wards."

They let the meaning sink in, when Hermione suddenly looked up.

"Harry.. What did you meant then that house elf magic is quite amazing?"

Harry looked baffled, but also a bit embarrassed at the sudden topic he actually knew very little of.

"Well, I don't really know - just that, think about it: under Regulus' orders, Kreacher was able to apparate away from the cave even Dumbledore could not get away from. So it's really powerful, I think."

Now there was that gleam in her brown eyes, a gleam that told them she knew what they were to do while they still didn't get it.

"So we use Kreacher, get in, get her wand and break into Gringotts while I play her, Ron is my fellow and you are under the Cloak. You imperiate a goblin if needed and we'll be good. Go down, come up and nothing is wrong. We'll just have to leave her unconscious and go in when  _he_ is not there", Hermione said in her rational but mysterious voice, making Harry and Ron gape at her in awe.

"That's bloody brilliant Hermione", the redhead said and shook his head while staring at her, making 'Mione blush.

"Oh, shush it Ron. It's just some thinking and putting the pieces together."

Harry nodded, too, smiling brightly at her.

"No it's not, 'Mione. You're brilliant. And I think I'll get us the perfect date for this endeavor."

"Soo, she usually sleeps after one am, in the upstairs, fifth door on the left, alone. Highly alert. Other notable rooms are the third and seventh, housing different Death Eaters. There's also Pettigrew, who runs around as a rat, so we need to stay out of sight all the time. For that, too, my informant can't help us anymore than give that: information. Voldemort will be gone tonight and possibly tomorrow, too. He's hardly at the mansion, I hear. He also said.."

Harry frowned at this point,

"That there's prisoners in the cellar. Ollivander, Luna, Dean and a goblin."

A silence settled over them grim looks covering their faces. Hermione sighed, like the boys were a lost cause for some reason.

"Of course we'll save them. Or otherwise we couldn't really call us the champions of the light."

"I'm not calling myself that", Ron frowned distastefully, but added after a glare from Hermione, "But I'm all for rescuing them."

And so they crafted up a plan deep into the night, seeing the clock tick half one they called for Kreacher to inform him of their plans and Harry gave him specific orders to anything possible. Once he got a message from Draco informing it was quiet at the manor, they set of, Kreacher taking them through the wards into the second floor. He then dropped Harry and Hermione off to go save the prosoners with Ron, who knew where to take them.

Hermione looked at the wards on the right door and smiled a little.

"Nothing I can't take care of", she said softly, both crunching under Harry's Cloak. They had muffliato's cast on them to make their movements quiet and disillusionment charms under it to make sure of it.

They had polujuice potion ready too, gotten by Kreacher from who knows where, ready for a certain curly black hair.

Sneaking of to Bellatrix Lestrange's bedroom was distressing to say the least. It was quiet, dark and full of that ominous feeling when you knew you were doing something bad, forbidden, in the presence of danger.

It was however a relatively simple room: a bed, wardrobe, door to a bathroom and a living room set, all in colors of black and red.

And if only walking to the room got Harry's chest to prickle with unease and the feeling of wanting to  _kill_ her, then seeing her sleeping there, restless as hell, but still sleeping, defenceless, the feeling only intensified. He hated her more than anyone, more than Voldemort himself. Hermione saw him tensing and knew what he was thinking.

She tapped his wrist lightly and lifted her thump up. Harry looked on in wonder. What did she mean? That she had something ready for he mad witch?

Hermione nodded as Harry pointed to Bellatrix with a disbelieving face. He shrugged, wanting to see what she was up to.

They first stunned the woman, because who wanted to have her wake up to find them going for her wand and scream bloody murder?

No one.

So knocked out she was.

Hermione then cast a spell Harry had never seen her do before, but did not ask what it did. They also made her drink a spiked Sleeping Draught, one that would last her for a day or two to stay unconscious and when finding her wand, Hermione copied its looks and left a fraud in place of the real one - or more like, it was a real wand, but disillusioned to look like hers. If she only took it and not concentrated on what it was, she could be fooled - until she tried doing magic with it.

Satisfied with their loot of one wand, one hair, one copy of robes, they left the room - only run over the damn rat that was Pettigrew.

Literally.

They ran over him.

Stepped on, squished like an octopus, all but killed.

Alerted at the least if a high, pained squeak was anything to go by.

Harry cursed under his breath when Hermione pointed her wand at the rat and stunned it without further ado.

Another bottle of spiked up Sleeping Draught and one rat stuffed under an armoir later, they called for Kreacher, who popped them out of there to where the rest were taken to: the Shell Cottage.

It was a beautiful place near the sea that Bill and Fleur lived. Ron had told them about it when he had come back with new information that they hadn't heard from Remus either. Reason for that was partly because they'd argued back at Grimmauld Place and only occasionally exchanged messages telling they were alright.

Harry grimaced while thinking back there. He shouldn't have called him a coward, in any circumstances.

It was the early hours of the day when they arrived at the house, air still dark and gloomy, but the house was lit up from the inside, soft light shining from the windows and lighting their way in.

They had agreed to go to Gringotts in around noon, so they still had a few hours left to sleep and regroup with everyone, who were happy to see them alive and well and meeting their friends brought some sense of home and belonging back to them, especially to Harry and Hermione who had lived in the woods for the better of half a year, only each other to keep company.

Luna was well, too, after being taken as a hostage to lure them in, and Harry was glad to see her again. They talked and smiled to the early morning, getting a few hours of sleep at last when their eyes were refusing to cooperate.

In the morning came another surprise for Bill and Fleur, as well as them all: Remus Lupin barreled in, shining in happiness and laughter, even more so when spotting Harry, Ron and Hermione there.

"It's a boy!" he shouted happily and after the understanding hit in, there was a round of delighted laughter, smiles, claps on the backs and tight hugs flowing around.

Remus was clearly so much more relaxed, happy and himself now that his son was finally born and not something unseen and uncomprehended.

"You'll be godfather, right?" Lupin suddenly turned to Harry, smiling widely. Harry blinked his eyes in wonder, not really understanding what Lupin was saying at all.

"M-me?" he astutely asked.

"You, yes, of course - Dora quite agrees, no one better", the new father said and gripped Harry's shoulder warmly.

Harry smiled, still reeling from the overflow of happy feelings shun out for so long: "I -yeah - blimey."

 

After the clock hit eleven, the mood settled down to fit their impending mission.

Everyone there knew what they were intending to do so they sat down at the table and talked.

"If this goes well,  _he_ won't know we are after him, if this goes wrong, he'll know and will want to know how far along we are in this we are doing", Harry said to the table full of grim people.

"But most of all, this is going to end soon. In two or three days, in fact. When Bellatrix wakes up to find her wand gone, and Pettigrew to tell it was us, to them finding their hostages are gone -  _he_ will know something is up. We-"

Harry gestured to them three,

"Will go to Hogwarts after this. It's the most probable hiding place for the last thing we're looking for. Kreacher will take us there steathily and then we'll take the school to us to command and get rid of every Death Eater there is. That's when the Order comes there to help us. Because once  _he_ knows I'm there, he'll come with an army."

The mood sank even lower.

Hermione took up to talking then.

"I suggest that you never move alone, always in pairs that you know work well. Move together and take down anyone by any means necessary. I'm no war strategist, but being alone is never good. And rest well for these days we can get you, being held down by sleep will be only stupid. If we do this right, everything will go fine. Or as fine as it can."

Many nodded in acceptance of her words, because well, she was Hermione Granger and she usually knew what she was talking about. 

 

 

It was strange to see so many people buzzing around again as they walked to the bank, Hermione as Bellatrix, Ron as a slightly chamged version to accompany her and Harry the Invisible Man.

If anyone saw Hermione-Bella now and knew who was the real Black curled woman, they would only cawk and gape - because bloody hell she could act.

It was just like she was the real deal, getting into character so well it was scary at times.

Perhaps that and the fact no one knew of their break-in in the Malfoy Manor yet caused them to get such an easy way in with a goblin guiding them - not under the imperious curse, but sentimentally.

Harry just tagged along and hoped all would go well.

They rode the cart lower into the ground then they'd ever been, twisting and turning and nearing some sound.. like water falling. Harry saw when Hermione's eyes widened slightly in recognition and she became frigid all of a sudden. Harry saw her move her wand and she confounded the goblin before rushing to Harry.

"That's bad", she said grimly, "if we get wet the potion will wear off. You and Ron stay and levitate me while at it."

Harry stared at her like she was crazy but did as she told after a painful stab in the ribs, levitating her off of the cart so the water didn't reach her while..

not getting drenched, which was odd, because Ron and the goblin sure were. It must have been the Cloak, Harry deduced.

Afterwards, with Hermione back in cart after some seriously dangerous turns, she returned the goblin to how it was, with slightly adjusted memories.

It was all a way different from the safety measures in Harry's vault for example. That damn waterfall, a dragon trapped underground and finally the most annoying, multiplying treasures in the vault in itself. It took a while to get through, with finally Harry trying to touch something with Gryffindor's sword and the object not multiplying, they levitated him up over the treasures to get the cup.

It was pure gold and quite small, but easy enough to recognize because he knew what he was looking for.

Then started the way up, thankfully using different rails and not having to levitate Hermione again.

She gave pitiful looks to the injured white dragon moving at the bottom, without a doubt wanting to save it. But she knew not to - they had another mission more right now. Saving dragons from Gringotts would have to come later.

Back outside in the sun, they apparated just outside Hogsmeade, where Harry called for Kreacher, who finally took them to their final stop: Hogwarts.

It was finally coming to an end. And it would all end here, at Hogwarts, defending their home, literally.

 

 

 

Draco walked the corridors with more haste than usual.

Reason was a simple one too: Potter.

Yes, Potter, who had decided to come to the castle full of Death Eaters to... Draco wasn't sure what, but here the annoying brat nonetheless was.

Weasley and Granger, too, of course. Never let the Golden Boy alone and all. It stemmed from only one thing: he was ready to fight.

Draco's muscles tensed when thinking how this was the supposed end, how after everything it would come to an end here, at Hogwarts. How soon, they would be at an all out war.

Draco feared. Feared for his parents, feared for his own life, feared Potter would fail. And then there was that thing with the Dark Lord starting to be suspicious about his Wand...  _He_ had accepted Draco's explanation, yes, of him being too at ease while Draco used an unknown jinx that resulted in... That unfortunate situation..

But after some time Draco had noticed the slight unease around the snake-like man. It was only the slightest feeling lingering in the air, but for someone spending so much time with him, it was noticeable.

That unease and the red, red eyes turning to Snape if he was around, looking on, silently, contemplating if the Potion Master's time was coming to an end..

 

 

 

Harry and the rest were left in an empty crook of the castle before Kreacher popped off to inform the house elves of what was going to happen. Harry didn't waste time and drew the Marauder's Map open, trying to locate where evyryone was they needed.

"Its' Thursday afternoon so there are still classes going on", Hermione said, pointing to a class full of name tags, "We need to wait talking to the teachers until those are over. I still have our DA galleon,  so I'll message them to meet us at the Room of Requirement."

Harry nodded, checking the Map to see Malfoy walking to the same destination..

with Amycus Carrow coming from three turns in front of him.

"You call Neville and tell him all that's important, I.. I'll need to go for a while. But I'll meet you at the seventh floor. You take the Map to avoid meeting teachers."

And Harry ran off, pulling the Cloak over him, having somehow memorised if there was someone on his way.

 

 

 

Draco walked on, not really bothering with all that went on around him. That's why he missed Amycus Carrow before the man was right in front of him.

"Malfoy", he said, surprised and halted in his steps, "What are you doing out here? Skipping classes?"

"Exactly, Carrow. I have better things to do than listen to Binns all day. Now move along, will you? I'm busy", Draco said unceremoniously and followed to move along.

When a hand stalled him, Draco wanted to curse why  _it had to be this day_ that Carrow decided they have show down of who's the better wizard.

"Where's your respect for your superiors, Malfoy?" the wild-blonde haired man asked, eyes narrowing dangerously. Draco honestly wondered who was such a nutcase to give these sadistic siblings the positions of teachers.. Ah,  _him_ , obviously. Who else, really..?

"Superior? You?" he drawled in a bored, condescending tone, "All I see is a cast away follower put into the position of a teacher to alleviate their tendensies to torture children."

And he continued walking, not giving the annoying creature any more of his time. Only obstacle was that Amycus wasn't on the same wave length as him, for he whipped out his wand, pointing it at Draco with a curse on his tongue.

The blonde sighed in exasperation, yeah well he  _might_ have urged the man on, but only a bit. Certainly the supposed teacher knew how this would roll along?

Draco turned around when he felt the curse coming, snapped his wand a little and a shield protected him from it. Then with another light snap the older man was dancing on the floor, the supposed student watching on with an eyebrow raised.

"Detention!" Carrow shrieked, furious at him, "Detention Malfoy!"

The eyebrow stayed up.

"Oh, well I think I could play with you for a while..", he said, pretending to think it through slowly.

Amycus' jaw twitched.

"Play with me?" he asked, so shocked he forgot to cansel the spell.

Draco merely nodded, before suddenly flashing an evil smirk.

"Our Lord has given me much homework to do on a few spells.. Nasty business, you know; best I have a bit.. tougher opponent won't you think?" he said slowly, twirling his wand in his fingers, enjoying how Carrow's eyes stayed on it, the earlier red from rage turning to sheer white on his crude face..

Seeing the annoyance well settled, Draco sauntered off without sparing another look his way. After walking nearly to his destination, Draco heard hurried footsteps coming from behind him and turned to see Potter, running while fighting the Cloak off his body.

"Malfoy! There was a Death Eater stuck in a  _tarantallegra_! Was that you? Won't you get in trouble?" The black haired boy gradually turning into a man asked, looking worried.

"Don't worry Potter. It won't ruin any of your plans - the annoyance was begging for it", Draco drawled with pleasure seeping into his usually condescending voice by the pure sight of his long lost... ally.

Potter looked doubtful and stopped beside him, looking like he'd been living in bushes with wrinkled clothes and ever the messy hair. Draco cast away his need to dress the young man (let's settle with that) and added in a more serious voice: "Plans I want to hear about. No running off on your own to possibly die."

Harry was just about to say something, when a door materialized from the wall behind them and a tall black haired wizard walked out, his eyes landing on them, widening when taking in Harry and glittering with hope.

"Harry!" Neville Longbottom greeted, obviously delighted, until his eyes travelled to Draco, standing almost skin to skin with the Savior of theirs.

He moved with such speed Potter hadn't time to explain a thing before Draco had a wand pointed to his nose and an enraged Gryffindor glaring at him.

 

Typical.

 

Just typical.

 

The moment Potter comes back, Draco's life gets rolled up and cut to pieces.

 

Just so.. annoying.

 

And that Potter surely was, just standing there mouth hanging open, not doing anything - like trying to save Draco as the wand-tip started glittering with red.

 

Fucking Typical.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another question worthy thingy:  
> Should I make another part in this after the war?  
> Like I feel like it would feel out of sorts in this (part3) and should deserve its own part 4.  
> That would be 1 or 2 one shot kinda chapters to be the ending we all want.. Or is the end the end,, really..  
> Okay, well just something hopping around in my mind, haha :D
> 
> Oh my god, just something funny I accidentally wrote. When they knocked Bella out, I wrote 'knocked up' and when noticing laughed quite hard. THAT would have been something.. She would have killed them for it... to have knocked Bella LeS up.. Buhahaa..
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Riza xx


	7. Impending Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> War - Sum 41
> 
> "Get ready 'cos this is war."
> 
> Due to me being busy and getting stranded with a dog who demands I wake up at 5am, I'm going to upload ch7 in two parts, one today and the next tomorrow. It will be one ch but the rest of it will show tomorrow.. it's gonna be LONG.
> 
> 1/15 Another song: Still Here - Digital Daggers
> 
> Finally a full chapter!! huff! That took some time..
> 
> Thank you for staying with me!! :)
> 
> Riza xx

 

"Malfoy!" Neville shouted loudly, alarmed, "Get away from Harry!"

Immediately after, a red stunner flew from his wand straight at Malfoy, who had been only inches from it. The blonde only lifted an eyebrow, sifted out of the way like he was bored out of his wits: all in cool Malfoy demeanor.

"No! Neville, calm down!" Harry interjected, doing calming motions with his hands and racking his brain frantically to come up with his saving excuses. Or maybe he could just tell the truth?

He hadn't the time for that, though, when Neville spoke before him, still not lowering his wand or letting the Slytherin out of his sights. Like Malfoy was going anywhere, he just stood there eyeing them, slightly interested in what Neville was going to come up with.

"But.. but he's the baddest of them all! All the Death Eaters fear him! You-Know-Who even comes sometimes to meet him!" Neville tried, looking conflicted and did not lower his wand, instead he only got more conviction from his words and a steel strong will lit up his eyes.

But Harry didn't really notice that, because he was more interested in what he'd heard and turned to Draco, looking at the git with curiosity and eyes twinkling.

"You are? Feared by all?" he asked in time to see a proud look rise on those familiar sculpted features. He looked good, Harry absentmindedly noticed, much better when the 'fiasco of wands' happened. Skin a healthy pale, as stupid as that sounded, gray eyes clear and strong.

"I don't have to tell you everything, Potter." Mafloy said, drawling, looking down at Harry with a sort of amused, condescending gaze that also twinkled with a goodness that ate at the bite there.

"And of course I am. Who do you even think I am?" he added scoffing and looking mistreated.

Harry grinned wickedly at that.

"Draco Malfoy, the insufferable git?"

Now Draco looked outright offended and huffed a bit.

"I could hex you to the Moon and back right now Potter. Tell me one reason why I shouldn't?"

"You love me?" Harry asked before his brain discovered what his mouth was doing.

Neville looked positively awkward by this point, his wand hovering unsteadily in the air, mouth parted in surprise by the peculiar sight in front of him. One that complete disregarded his whole existence.

Draco went speechless, staring at Harry with blinking silver eyes.

"You're irritable, Potter" he finally said and flicked Harry to the temple, looking worn out all of a sudden.

By the silence when Harry looked embarrassed while massaging his sore temple and Malfoy resigned of all additional speaking, Neville gathered his wits at last and asked: "So he's not an enemy?"

There was clear disbelief in his tone but it managed to wake the two up, both jumping a little before looking at each other quite stumped by the question. Were they? No?

"No he's not", Harry said, shaking his head, "He's..."

And he did not know what Malfoy was. It was good then, that the git himself was present to save him from answering..

"We have common interests", the blonde stated with finality in his tone, talking over Harry with ease.

Even though Harry was glad he solved the problem, he wasn't with the tone used.

So Malfoy earned a stab in the ribs.

Which prompted another flick at the temple for Harry.

Fast, they totally forgot Neville was even there, so happy to be in each other's company and argue once again. Both had grins on their faces while they exchanged swats and pokes and ruffles, going for the second best option while in the presence of others - luckily still having that much sense in them.

So immersed in each other they were, that they completely ignored the arrival of Ron and Hermione, which they never ever should have done.

Ron took one look at the situation, flung himself at Malfoy wildly all the while yelling: "Get off you slimy git!"

His fist poured its power straight into Malfoy's jaw, successfully getting the blonde and black haired paired away from each other. Malfoy staggered a few steps back, totally flabbergasted where the bloody fist had suddenly come from, before his silver eyes found the redhead grinning victoriously by Harry's side and darkening profoundly. Suddenly Harry was  _very_  worried about Ron's safety.

"Fucking weasel!" Malfoy yelled, righting himself fast and taking a step Ron's way, only to be blocked by Harry, who took a good firm grip of his shoulders and put all his weight down to keep them from pummeling each other to death.

"I'll kill you for that!"

"Hey, Draco, calm down - he - he didn't know - calm down!" Harry shouted, being closer and closer to getting run over by the insufferable git ready to murder his best friend. It was especially moments like these that made him grieve those missing few inches that made him short and Malfoy tall. Insufferably tall. 

But luckily, his voice seemed to work and made Malfoy stop advancing. Instead he momentarily glared at Harry.

"Doesn't stop him from being an asshole", he said and drew his wand so fast Harry hardly saw the movement. The next second Ron was there, dancing some riverdale and glaring daggers at Malfoy, who watched his wandwork a satisfied little smirk on his face before he pointed a wand to his angry red cheek and it healed there, right before their eyes. Then he grabbed Harry's arm, turning to say something to him, but was interrupted by Ron's shrieking again, which clearly ticked him off.

"Get your bloody Death Eater hands off of him, you ferret!"

Malfoy sighed and closed his eyes in obvious pain, mental pain, of course and looked at Harry like: "Control that idiot friend of yours better." Harry shot him a dirty look before turning to Ron. Hermione had been surprisingly quiet, just standing there and watching it all happen. Harry found it odd, but this was not a time to address that.

"Ron", Harry said very clearly and slowly, getting his friends attention, "Malfoy here", a pat to a slim shoulder, "is my much talked informee - not an enemy."

It was hilarious how Ron's eyes first looked at the hand Harry had patted Malfoy with in numb fascination, before turning to look at the blonde, like, just to check it really, truly, absolutely was Draco Malfoy Harry was talking about. Then his brows furrowed. Finally his jaw flew open and he sputtered incoherently. Hermione helpfully patted him on the shoulder and canceled the jinx still making him kick one leg to the right before the other kicked left, nearly getting him sprawled over the floor when it abruptly ended. 

None of them laughed, though.

"You", Ron said, face changing color between sickly green, angry red and pale white, "Y-you are the one who d-disarmed You-Know-Who?"

Once the question was out of his system, Ron seemed to have his power back and loudly yelled: "No bloody way! I don't believe this - you - you are lying, Malfoy made you do this by extortion! -"

Ron would have surely continued, if Hermione hadn't stealthily silenced him, mouth opening and closing but no words coming out.

"I believe you Harry", she simply said, before turning to Draco and smiling warmly, "Good job out there, Draco. It wouldn't have been the same without you."

Harry was sure they all were equally thrown of by her words, Draco especially. He actually blushed a little and showed a weak grin to Hermione. 

"Thanks Granger. You're brilliant, too, from what I've heard from Potter", he admitted honestly, a changed man he was, "No use denying that."

"Even though I'm muggleborn?" asked Hermione quite cheekily, making Malfoy bite his tongue and looking at the walls.

"Even though, Granger, doesn't have a thing to do with your brilliance", he said, nonetheless, and turned to Harry, with that stern look in his eyes again.

"It''s plan time Potter. You still owe me that explanation - and by the looks Longbottom is giving us, he wants one too", Malfoy said and they all came back from that curious universe they'd temporarily stepped into, one where there were no evil wizards out to kill them.

"Yes, let's do that"; Hermione nodded and they all turned to a previously silent Neville, watching what was happening in front of him a bit dazedly.

"I know just the place", he said, grinning as all eyes were on him and turned around to the door still behind him. It opened and they stepped in, Neville patting his shoulder warmly as he went by.

"It's good to have you back, Harry."

 

 

 

The room was enormous and mostly empty, only a few people lounging in hammocks that were in many layers over the other, filling on end of the room. Underneath them were tables, chairs, couches, mats and  bookcases - everything one could ask for.

"It's relatively empty now - most are in classes now - only the ones too badly injured or tired are here sleeping", Neville explained as they sat down and had cast privacy wards overhead them.

Draco nodded at his words and said: "I was wondering where you were hiding in - should've known it was here."

Neville gave him a long look before shaking his head.

"I can't still believe your on our side", he sighed and the weasel seemed to share his opinion.

"That's the idea, dimwits. Do you think I'd survive being  _his_ special apprentice if I played nice with you?" Draco said, trying to bite back most of his usual ire. The troubles of being in the company of Potter and friends. Blaise never complained about his remarks - on the contrary - he gave back what he got, sometimes twice the amount. Bright kid, that boy, staying out of the war.

Neville looked properly ashamed to have asked such a question, but weasel was ready to go for round two with him, if Granger hadn't held him back by the collar. Harry coughed a little and shot him a look that was most likely meant to shot him down a little. Far cry, Potter.

"The plan, Potter. Or have we got time? I was of the impression we didn't - with aunty Bella ready to wake up screaming bloody murder any second now", Draco was the one to continue the discussion, being the only one calm enough to do so. Granger would have if not for the dimwit by her side, still fuming like a steam engine. No respect from him.

"I've been thinking this for a while now, but we  _are_  talking about a war plan, right?" Neville asked, leaning forward the table. Everyone nodded.

"The Death Eater army will be here in a day or two", Harry said grimly.

"Yes", Hermione continued talking, "We broke into Gringotts today by impersonating Bellatrix Lestrange so they will know - or more like - _he_ will know what we're up to and really soon at that."

Neville paled some but remained frank and unbending.

"So, what is the plan?" he asked and then.. then they planned. Because, as it appeared - Potter didn't have a plan. What a surprise. If you didn't hear the sarcasm, read again.  _What_ a surprise. Draco had to remind himself why he was on this side again. Until Hermione spoke. Then he knew again for sure. The girl could easily show most of the wizarding kin exactly who ruled the school test boards.

"We have the advantage of surprise - that is our building point. We can take over the castle, as we talked earlier with Lupin. The Order members will come here once we have eradicated the Death Eaters from here. Then we have the advantage of mining the school. And in this prospect, I think we have to turn to your brothers Ron."

Ron looked up excitedly at that.

"They have some cool new stuff invented - and they'll be glad to use some of it to ensure our victory - I'll go message them-"

"Not so soon. Do you even know what all Granger wants, weasel?" Draco interrupted the redhead - just because he could do so. The reasoning seemed to be apparent to the weasel in question, too, if anything was to be interpreted from the narrowing of his eyes and the tensing of his jaw.

Of course, Granger jumped in to ruin his fun.

"I thought we should use anything to trick, cheat and hinder them, so anything they have of that variety. If you would get them, please, Ron?"

She smiled very swetly at weasel, who struggled with words for a while and forgot Draco once and for all before shooting off a goofy smile on his lips. Draco shot a one eyebrowed look her way. Granger blushed. Obvious.

"So we crush them totally in one go?" Neville asked, sounding excited by the possibility.

Draco shook his head.

" _He_ ain't stupid. If we tried to do that,  _he_ would come and finish the front line, the second line and all the ones afterwards, simply said: we'd be screwed", Draco said, leaning back in his chair and thinking of the possibilities they had.

Granger looked properly distrusting of his theory and voiced such thoughts too.

"Why do you say so? In the end even though he's You-Know-Who he's only one man. What could he do against many of us?"

Draco didn't value her unreal naivety. He said as much, too.

"He might be only one man.. but we don't have Dumbledore anymore. NO ONE to go toe to toe with him. Because I've never - I mean  ** _never_** \- seen him even really try while dueling. With me nor aunty Bella. Never. He could kill a room full of Death Eaters coming at him with only the pressure from his _magic_. A few Weasley tricks and a dozen brave, suicidal souls would do little to stop him from murdering us all."

Draco felt a bit bad at dampening the mood so much with only one sentence.

"Never?" Neville asked a bit feebly. Draco shook his head no.

"But it's good he likes others to do his bidding. I doubt he'd go in to battle if his Death Eaters could do it for him and win. Then he'd maybe petition for you to give Potter, because that's what  _he's_ after. It's good  _he_ values magical blood - also another reason for no fighting early on. I say we check how well they can fight but let them in on an illusion they are winning. Then Potter can go find him and it's all over. Because despite what I just said, Potter here seems to have something magical about him enough to conquer Dark Lords."

Hermione nodded, Potter and Longbottom only looked grave and stayed quiet.

"That sounds reasonable. I guess you know _him_  the best of us. But I still vouch for fortifying the school and going with experienced pairs - that's what Aurors do, too."

"And don't forget the giants", Draco added from the side, reminding them of those big, cruel things  _he_ had under  _his_ control.

They paled again. Draco started to think he should perhaps stay quiet.

"What can even win over a giant?" Neville asked, obviously frightened, but refusing to show it.

"Another giant", Draco offered with an attempt to lift the atmosphere, "And many wizards on one. Most spells bounce off of them, so doing the right ones are most effective. Their eyes are a weak part. Cutting would suffice too, if a bad enough curse or a big enough blade."

After a short silence Draco spoke once again: "What of the thing why you're here? Do you know where it is?"

The mood sobered up again, with him and Longbottom curiously looking to Harry and Hermione. They shared a look, before pulling out a golden cup.

"Is that the thing you stole from Bellatrix? Something of  _his_?" Draco asked, looking at it closer.

Potter merely nodded, before Granger pulled out a long silvery sword with red ruby gems from her purse.

"Do you want to do it?" Potter asked asked and after a while of contemplating, Granger stepped froth with the sword tightly gripped in her hands. Harry set the cup down and Granger moved in front of it, staring at it hard before lifting the sword and finally crashing it down on it. The cup broke to pieces and when they expected it to only go to pieces, something black and hideous  _bled_ from it to the floor, reeking of evil and nasty.

"What was that?" Draco asked crunching his nose.

"A piece of  _him_. There were several. Now only two remaining. One in the castle, the other is his snake." Potter explained while Granger collected the pieces together and stored them back into her purse.

"Nagini?" Draco asked, looking relatively ready to decline every offer to go toe to toe with said snake. Potter merely nodded.

"She must be slain by that", he pointed to the sword, "A basilisk fang or by fiendfire."

"Okay then", Longbottom  said with a forced smile, "It's only a snake right?"

They all were fond to do anything other then continue that talk so Potter elaborated his meaning of 'something in the school', which was pretty boundless if one asked Draco.

"So we think it's something belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw. Like that cup was Hufflepuff's. Do you know anything it could be or anywhere we could find it?" Potter asked hopefully. Draco started wondering if even Granger had never read Hogwarts: the history.

"it must be her diadem then. It went missing ages ago, though, but if anyone's found it, it must be  _him_. "

Curious eyes turned to him then and he continued: "I don't know much from it - only that her daughter apparently stole it and then it went poof."

"It's like a crown, right?" Neville asked and Draco nodded, "We should ask Luna."

The rest conceded and so they plotted some more. Draco was finding it more boring by the minute.

 

 

Once classes for the day came to an end, the Hunt began. Now that was something Draco would have loved to take part in but could not - for obvious reasons.

Hexing the Carrows would have made him very happy..

But he was left stranded again, dying of boredom and lying in a chair somewhere no one could see him because hey, he was the 'baddest of them all' and meant to be one of the hunted.

He sighed into the air before rubbing at his eyes. Maybe he should sleep or train some more or read or eat or- The door opened. Potter came in with the Luna girl in tow.

"Hey we are going to look for the diadem now. Do you wanna come along?"

Draco needn't think of his answer.

"Hell, yeah, I'm in", he said and jumped up; definition: gracefully and elegantly jumped up. No stumbling or falling, but enthusiastic standing up.

Just like a Malfoy should do.

 

 

 

"So a diadem?" Malfoy asked looking much more alive than a few minutes earlier, when reclining back in the chance chair in the room of requirement.

"Yes", Harry said, nodding, "Luna promised to show us a copy of it that's in Ravenclaw dorms."

Draco mused along, humming a little before glancing to Luna.

"Don't think we've met earlier", he said and gave her a nod in greeting, "But could you perhaps extract a memory? I don't think we should go parading to the dorms where most students are soon escorted to."

"Oh we have", Luna said while smiling dreamily, "In my fourth year when the inquisition squad manhandled us."

That made Malfoy falter in his steps, before he shrugged it off and turned to Harry to ask for his opinion.

"Yeah, that's when you met", he confirmed and got a pained look from Malfoy in return.

"No", the blonde all but moaned, "Can she put the memory into a pensieve so we can safely look at it?"

"Oh, I can - if only you have a pensieve", Luna said, skipping along happily.

Malfoy nodded, relieved they adhered to his plan, which had its points.

"I do", he said, leading the way, "In another Room of Requirement."

So they went to the hallways, gladly empty and watched Draco walk thrice in front of the painting of Barnabas the Barmy. He gestured tot he door that appeared and Harry and Luna walked to it in silent agreement.

Malfoy led them with ease through the piles of treasures. Harry watched them, distantly remembering how he frantically ran along the lines of trash and treasure in an attempt to hide his Potions book.

"It's here", he heard from further apart and turned to see a similar bowl to the one in Dumbledore's office to lay in his hands, "Have you extracted a memory before?" 

Luna nodded slightly before pointing her wand to her temple: "A Has-Been me and father tried to help was fond of painful memories so I sealed them in a pensieve while taking care of it. Otherwise it might have injured me."

A silvery ghost of a sphere trailed down her wand to the liquid surface before settling in. Draco went first and soon Harry followed, with Luna keeping the rear.

They landed in a circular room, much like the Gryffindor common room harry was used to, but this one in blue colors and a huge statue of a exquisite woman with a crown on top of her head. He looked to her so intently he didn't realize the roof was covered in constellations before sifting to study the diadem closer.

"That's the diadem", Luna said, looking at it with a head tilted to the side.

Harry frowned, staring at the delicate piece and thinking..

"I've seen it somewhere", Draco stole the thoughts from his head.

A picture of a head with a crown on top of it came to mind.

"-In this room", they both said at the same time, eyes round in the luckiness of it all and fought back to reality.

They ran to the aisles, fighting each other as they went, with Luna leisurely coming behind them, looking all over at the stuff piled up there, not minding the boys making a ruckus of things.

Harry ran, eager to find it before Malfoy, but.. he had no idea where there it was.. It was like maze, with similar yet different things piled here and there, making it hard to navigate where he had been. To his luck, Malfoy seemed to share the same thoughts. But also to Harry's dismay, his thinking was faster than Harry's.

"Accio mannequin head!" he called with a hoping look on his face. And a head did fly to them, coming over the tops and finally coming close to Malfoy's outstretched hand. Harry grit his teeth, unwilling to lose and sprung like a bow to catch it right in front of the git's face. he grinned victoriously and held the head by the neck and swinging it in front of Malfoy's annoyed face.

"Brat", was a foul insult thrown his way, but Harry didn't mind - until he looked to the head of the mannequin. It was empty.

Of course Malfoy saw it too and grinned evilly.

"A useless brat", he chided and looked far too smug to be healthy.

"It was your pitiful attempt", Harry shot back and threw the head somewhere over his shoulder.

Malfoy simply shrugged, not taking part in Harry's antics.

"I had no idea would it even work", he said.

"It did work"; a dreamy voice drifted to them and they turned to see a smiling Luna standing there with a diadem in her hands, "It just fell on top of me because of the momentum."

Harry and Malfoy looked at each other before grinning. Well, maybe it was best Luna had gotten it. They'd have just competed over it uselessly for minutes, if not longer.

"Put it down so I can get rid of it", Harry said and started going for the Basilisk fang he had taken with him.

Luna did and Harry made quick work of it. Every piece they found left him feeling lighter and lighter, knowing it was coming close to the end with all their hard work. This time Luna showed them the way out, Harry falling in step beside Malfoy, their hands brushing against each other, sending tingles down his spine. Harry looked up to see the blonde looking down at him, with one of those indescribable smiles on his lips.

"We are soon there, Potter", he said and held his hand in his for a second before letting it go again.

Harry nodded, missing the ghost of a touch as soon as it vanished, taking the heat with it away from him.

"I just hope we'll survive, all of us."

There was no answer to his words, and he wasn't expecting one either. It was almost foolish to hope such in a war. Instead of words, those fingers curled around his an squeezed tightly, in reassurance. Harry squeezed right back.

 

 

 

Draco sat in his boredom room again, contemplating deeply while swirling a small dark green glass bottle in his fingers. It was almost invisible in the darkness of the room, hugging everything in shadows. It had been quiet after the short diadem hunt. Potter and company had gone to sleep because apparently they hadn't done that much lately. The Order had arrived - not that Draco had seen them - and were fortifying the school according to their plans and all in all readying for war.

Snape wasn't in the castle or then he was, sitting in his office, playing a blank eye over their antics. Draco thought to  _how_ the members had gotten in. House Elves. Apparating through wards like easy piecy and bringing member after member with them, with none the wiser of their arrival. So maybe the dark man really didn't know what was going on..

Another swirl of the bottle and dark liquid inside later Draco stilled to stare at it. Such a treasure. Such a useless treasure, still. It only had use for a one moment in time - if it ever even came. He didn't know, but Draco liked to be prepared for everything. There was too much at stake for him in this war to lose because of a stupid mistake in preparing things. That's why they had warded the Vanishing Cabinet, too, to stop traveling through that. It would have wrecked their plans had that been possible.

He stilled the swirling bottle and held it between his thump and index finger, lost in time while looking at it.

Who knows how much later, the door opened and that Luna girl peeked in, smiling widely once seeing him. Draco wouldn't have thought just seeing him could bring her such joy. He slipped the bottle back into his pocket and raised an eyebrow in question at her. She slipped through the door, golden locks dancing a little in the light cascading behind her shoulders.

"I wanted to thank you", she said and sat down next to him. After a long silence of Draco thinking over what, but being lazy enough to ask, Luna said in elaboration: "For being nice to me at the Manor."

That was when Draco really looked at her and halted in his movements.

"Ah, it was you. I'm sorry for not remembering, I had to remove those memories for obvious reasons", Draco said and while speaking images of the girl down in the dungeons came to mind.

"I thought as much, when you said we hadn't met earlier", she said sunnily.

Draco smirked at his stupidity, shaking his head.

"Don't fret over it", the girl said, watching him with keen blue eyes, "If I were you, I'd have trouble remembering my own name."

He only shrugged not knowing how to operate in such company, before resting his weight on his arms, hung over his tights and grinning meekly. the girl chuckled at him a little, but her eyes were so kind Draco had difficulty watching into them. So he didn't.

"It's not that bad, you know? I even get to learn lots. Sure there were numerous  _crucious_ and the like, but it makes you grow. Become more.. human. See things differently while shouting in pain and writhing on the cold hard floor while  _he_ looms overhead, enjoying those sounds you make, relishing in the fear he invokes. It makes one see how abnormal it is - how wrong. And the scarier it becomes in those moments he wishes to see into your mind, to see the belief in  _him_ you have -and when you don't. Didn't. I have it now. It grew too, over the lessons he gave me. Because despite it all, he's magical. The way magic flocks to him like a moth to a flame. It's unique, something to look up to. It's why he liked me so much. That I saw and understood how great  _his_ magic is. And now.. I'm a bit sad I can't learn from him anymore after he finds out what I've been doing", Draco told in a quiet but conversational tone, looking at his hands at the same time. Hands where an equally pale but softer and smaller hand suddenly rested.

"When is it ever easy?" she asked with a little mysterious smile hanging on her lips. "When is it ever painless? It's not. And that makes it life, worth living for, don't you think, Draco Malfoy?"

"You're a good kid, Lovegood", Draco said before laughing warmly and ruffling her hair a bit, making a mess of it.

Luna looked at him with a little pout before hopping up and going for the door that opened at that time to reveal a sleepy Potter, yawning widely. He looked properly shocked to see Lovegood there, standing in front of a smiling Malfoy.

"Oh, Luna hi", he said in between yawns, "have you slept already?"

"No, just going now", she said and skipped away to the door, leaning over its rim to wink at Draco before disappearing from view. Draco chuckled and sat back into the chair again. On another thought, he transfigured it into a couch. Aah, much more comfortable to sit in.

"You sleeping too?" Potter asked, sounding almost shy all of a sudden. Draco flipped one eye open to peer at him, standing in the doorway, fidgeting a little. Annoying brat..

"Come here already and stop acting cute", he slurred and yawned too, resting against the couch and effectively hiding a smile when Potter tensed up and glared daggers at him.

"Insuffe-" "rable git, yeah I know by now. And you're still acting cute", Draco spoke over the dark haired wizard and decided to conjure some blankets too. Potter was still being all gruff and angry, but relented and sat opposite him snatching one of the blankets before Draco could even touch it. He raised a single eyebrow at the boy.

"I was going to give you one, you know", he said, amused. Potter looked ready to bolt.

"Okay, I'll stop teasing you. Stay, will you?" Draco amended and conjured a soft pillow to each of them. Potter snatched it up and stuffed behind his head, glaring at Draco with his green eyes. Their legs mingled under the blankets until neither knew which was whose.

"You should cut down on it", Potter mumbled sleepily, haphazardly pulling a blanket over his shoulders. Draco snapped his wrist and it tightened around the raven's shoulders. He got a surprised look in return.

"And lose out on your angry glare? I think I'd get withdrawal symptoms.. So many years of getting a rise out of you, gone by a silly promise? No thank you", Draco said and snuggled to the pillow. He could feel Potter's eyes on his person.

"What was it you wanted?" he mumbled sleepily, not having noticed how tired he was until Luna stopped his thoughts from whirling around and Potter came in yawning.

"This", was his answer as they both fell soundly asleep, legs entangled together and nicely warm, for the last night before chaos got set loose on them.

 

 

 

Harry woke up to a pained moan echoing in the mostly empty room. He blinked his dreamy eyes open to locate the sound, only to see a blur overall. Yes, right his glasses.. Now where were they? He patted the ground that looked mostly a brown mess of color and felt something small and metallic. With glasses safely propped on his nose, he turned to see Malfoy clutching at his arm and whimpering curses. Harry's eyes opened wide at the sight of a black mark moving angrily along pale skin. The was sweat on Maldoy's temple's and he gasped for breath and tried sitting up more securely. Harry scamepered closer to help him. Only when he was just under his nose, Malfoy noticed him and muttered between whimpers:

"He's positively angry. This is the most terrible calling he's ever sent.. Our time's up, I guess."

Gray eyes lifted to briefly meet his, before Malfoy made to stand up. Harry put a hand out to stop him, only to get an angry snarl in response.

"I  _have_ to go, Potter! This won't stop until I do and it'll only get worse. Move it-" he took a sharp gasp and hadnsome features grimaced in searing pain, "- Please."

It was the plead that got Harry moving up and helping the blonde to stand on unsteady feet, too.

"Fuck it, I'm not gonna go far at this rate", he mumbled and searched for his wand before pointing it to the whole of his left arm. Malfoy sighhed in relief and explained to Harry's inquiring gaze:

"I numbed my whole arm; it's gonna help for now so I get there. Oh don't you dare look so miserable: it's not you going to meet _him_."

"No, it's not. But it doesn't stop me from worrying about it any less", Harry said scowling at the blonde.

"I'm not used to people worrying about me - I don't want to start now either", Malfoy said evasively and conjured black robes for himself.

"Okay", he said once dressed like a proper Death Eater, "I need to fight my way out of here to alleviate  _his_ anger. So let's go get this party started."

Harry didn't say anything, just conjured up a small glass bottle. Malfoy stared at it for a second before a mischievous grin tugged at his lips.

"A goodbye first, then?" he said, inching closer to Harry, who shook his head no.

"A good luck charm", he replied and yanked the blonde closer by the collar. Malfoy's face was inches from his, still a grin visible there and gray eyes, proportions softer than before.

"There's no magic in  _this_ ", he said in a chuckle and lowered his lips to meet Harry's in a languid kiss, before deepening it further by probing at the seam of his lips with a tongue. Harry let him in and met his tongue with his own, tasting and saying all they did not otherwise say. Harry's hands rose to entangle in blonde curls, but Malfoy stepped back and held them in his.

"No ruining my hair this time, Potter", he chided, before pulling the black hair to seal their lips again in a heated kiss.

After too little time they stepped back, panting, Draco tilting his wand to extract another memory and slipping it into the bottle.

"How many of these do you have?" Harry asked quietly, watching the swirling of white.

"Enough", Draco said simply, "More than I'd like, for sure."

They met eyes for a brief understanding contact before they stepped out to the others, explaining how it had now started. Only grave faces met them there.

 

 

 

Draco speed walked on the corridors, going for the big main doors, brushing away a few hexes coming his way from his pursuers. At first those knowing of his true allegiance kept him going, but when going past a stern looking McGonagall, it started getting serious. She was all out to hex him, a student! Draco couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact. Maybe it was his robes - they weren't the most casual wear, being what they were.

After a quick turn on the fourth floor, his luck came to an end when Flitwick appeared there, waving his wand in perilous movements already. Draco cursed under his breath and ran right, evading all he could. When a black figure rounded the corner in front of him, the young Malfoy was sure the heavens themselves were trying to stop him from leaving, but it was Snape, donning a similar pair to his robes and looking grave. he spotted Draco and the entourage behind him and flashed an amused smirk, which turned to a scowl as a hex flew past his head. Sprout came running behind the man with an enraged Madam Pomfrey behind her. Both had their wands ready.

Snape and Draco exchanged a glance and both had came to the same result. Neither smiled, just stopped next to each other and mat their pursuers.

"Snape! Hiding away all night only to run to your master!" McGonagall shouted, enraged and shot a nasty looking hex their way. Snape easily defended against it.

"And young Malfoy! How could you do this to us?" Poppy Pomfrey asked, looking miffed. Draco bet it was because she'd almost grown attached to him when he went there to skive off..

Snape sneered and pointed his wand up.

"Hiding? When you took over my school as it seems.. I had better things to do. Let's go Draco", he said, turned in a wave of his robes while Draco smashed the window behind them apart, earning shrieks from the crowd beginning to form.

Snape swirled past the window, jumping into the sky, Draco high on his heels, blocking a few jinxes while jumping. He felt his magic surround him and the feeling of flying became more apparent as cool morning air swirled all around and felt fresh, alive. He shot one look past them to the people staring slack jawed at them flying away. Especially he met Potter's eyes and smirked the grin he knew Potter hated as much he loved it.

"You're such a show-off, sir", Draco said with a smile as they flew to the apparition point. Snape turned to give him a dry look.

"You're the best one to talk, Malfoy", was his calm and biting response. Draco grinned a little despite the pain now permeating his whole arm and steadily engulfing him whole. He wasn't alone in this.

 

 

 

By noon Harry finally got a message from Malfoy saying he 'was alive'.  It didn't really reassure them much, more so when that was the only thing he sent the whole day.

The castle was theirs, yes, all their troops were there building defenses and rehearsing everything needed to survive, but still Harry was feeling dread in his chest. It bit harshly into his flesh, tearing and weaving until it was all he could think about.

That ever increasing dark, looming dread.

It was only around four in the afternoon when he finally realized it wasn't his dread he was feeling.

It was  _his_ ,

Voldemort's.

The Dark Lord was afraid, afraid for his life. The realization came with throbbing pain in his scar, hitting him by total surprise and making everything else fade away but the engulfing darkness and the bubbling hatred within its emptiness.

He was  _him_ again, taller, cold skin, red eyes, filled with hatred and fear, _the absolutely disgusting feeling of fear nagging away at him in the recesses of his mind, plunging in without invite, scaring him._

_A feeling so out of place, so foreign it felt even more unwanted.._

_He, Lord Voldemort, scared?_

_It was ridiculous, impossible, but still he was._

_But the hatred, a feeling he understood, loved, knew to be true; his beloved hatred was stronger than that pathetic feeling, obliterating it from within his mind.. for now.. for ever.._

_Hatred._

_For his followers, one after another disappointing him so severely..._

_Even dear Bella._

_The anger was pure red now, even more intense the the red of his eyes, more pungent, more vicious._

_Bella was writhing on the floor, screaming in pain and wanting to end those screams because even now.. even now she wanted nothing but please him.._

_His dear, dear Bellatrix._

_Getting toyed by **children** , stolen from by  **children** , letting go of  **his** treasure because of  **children**._

_Every searing thought elicited another sinfully pleasurable scream from her red, red lips. Her dark eyes were darken than ever, so vicious she was.. So ready for **revenge**._

_He would get his revenge. Soon. Before the Potter boy destroyed all of his blessed soul. He had wasted enough time on these rags, for now._

_There would be time to hear more screams, begs and pleas._

_After he had the body of Potter on a throne to show for everyone._

_The hatred, welled, intensified, Bella's screams went closer and closer to a treble._

_The Gaunt ring - gone._

_Slytherin's, his ancestor's Locket - gone._

_The Diary - gone._

_The Hufflepuff Cup - gone._

_The Ravenclaw diadem.. - possibly also.. gone._

_Draco had said between moans that Potter was seen going around the castle mumbling something about diadems._

_The hatred exploded inside him, screams rising like a choir all around him, dark figures hunched by the sides of the white sitting room, all howling, wailing their aches, those precious moans, swallowing him within the pure cacophony of it, engulfing him with power_ _\- his magic - the only truly loyal servant he had. But it was not a servant; it was a companion, a part of him._

_His beloved magic._

_He would show how Magic Was Might._

_How there was only power._

_And that Lord Voldemort **was** powerful and those standing in his way would  **perish..**_

 

"-arry! Harry!" a worried shout brought him back to stare into the warm, brown eyes of Hermione Granger. He panted heavily, sweat dripping down and that annoying feeling of dizziness clouding his vision.. or was that the absence of his glasses?

"He's furious, been having a pain orgy with his Death Eaters. It's finished now, though. They are coming. Tell everyone to get ready", Harry instructed between gasps for air. Why was he still feeling so bad? The trembles wouldn't stop, the memory of  _hatred, pure, powerful fury_ still lingering in his veins, making it hard to focus.

"You all right, Harry?" Ron's voice asked and Harry forced his eyes open, meeting his blue gaze head on, nearly striking his head into his.

"Woah! Steady there. Someone get Madam Pomfrey here to look at him!" Ron yelled, leaning back away from Harry's face.

"I'm fine", Harry insisted getting to his feet despite Ron trying to tug him down, "It's just residual anger making me dizzy."

"A what?" Ron asked, blinking. Harry sighed heavily and rubbed at his brows.

"Nothing - Look - I'm all right; okay; brilliant!" he did a little spin that left his mind reeling again, "We need to get ready - make sure we survive. Hurry up now! He's coming."

 _They are coming,_ his mind stealthily corrected.

 

 

 

 Draco looked at the familiar, precious castle in front of him, hunching a little still, because of those hours under  _his_ magic shunning his, stomping him down. He never got the  _crucio_. But the pain was still there - that last wave of pure anguish that swallowed them all in pure despair for even a single breath to cure their burning lugns, for even a second to stand in a light summer breeze. 

_But not like this.._

_Not while watching his home on the brink of death that he would deliver to ravish its walls and corridors with anguish and pain._

_Not.._

"Draco", a shrill voice, so much colder, so much more precise called for him in a whisper, "Unravel the wards for your Lord."

"Yes, My Lord", Draco answered and drew a long breath in, steeling his focus on the brightly shimmering brand new wards in front of him. They would fall, even without him. They would still go onwards. He just did whatever he had to survive and go by the plan.

Draco lifted his wand, held eloquently in his pale hand, high above his head he lifted it, high enough that anyone watching would see it was him to take these wards down. Snape stood by his side as grim as always, watching on like nothing was happening at all, black eyes still and unseeing. Draco was sure even he was somewhere else now, dreading what's to come - what their frazzled Lord would do if his mind slipped once again. Bellatrix stood there on her own two feet, a bit askew but standing, seething in fury, in want for revenge. Draco was glad to fight on the same side as her.

His wand drew a line straight down, opening a mirror in the wards, mumbles flowed from his lips, his wand twirled in a supposed disarray that nonetheless was unraveling the wards in front of them in a steady beat, like that of his heart, thumping.. thumping..  _crack_.

A fizzure opened, like a lighting that fell from the sky, it rushed over the shimmery surface, racing all the way to the other side, before it all, those strong, sure webs became mist that shattered in the sun.

The crowd behind him cheered, glorified, thirsted for blood in an uncontrollable holler.

"Go", Lord Voldemort whispered into the night, voice carrying along in the wind like the mightiest of bells, "And bring me Potter.  _Alive._ "

In any other case the word 'alive' would have brought reassurance, even hope, but falling from those unnaturally pale, ice cold lips it brought only the purest anguish, the most vicious pain.

 

Always anguish; always pain.

 

Suffering.

 

Wasn't  _he_ tired of suffering? Draco knew he would have been, living such a cold and harsh life as his Lord had, all anguish all pain.

 

He would choose oblivion over suffering an eternity, being feared by those around him.

 

But that was the difference between them, wasn't it?

 

The other knew love and warmth; the other knew hate and coldness.

 

Such opposites they were, such imperfection in perfection.

 


	8. Devil Within

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Devil Within - Digital Daggers
> 
> The last chapter.. Or it was supposed to be. Again.
> 
> Cough cough... These chapters just grow longer than I want and am capable of providing..
> 
> Bare with me - It's still not the end
> 
> It's been fun and stressing (deadlines to meet..hyrr), nightless nights and the lack of sleep I now have. I apologize for the varying balance of good and bad this has - I'll edit this whole thing once the clock doesn't show 1am with my alarm clock showing 5.30am..... Which is sometime after finishing this.. which will be someday - I don't even promise anything anymore, haha.
> 
> The beginning's me: 3 chapters should suffice! Then it was 5, 6, 7, 8... yeah, you get it, right xD
> 
> Thank you for reading and please leave Kudos and comment if you liked/ponder on something!
> 
> It might make me take up on a little AU of this AU that I've been visioning lately... One with DM/HP & HG/TMR with a sweetly agonizing touch of HG/RW.. wink wink lol
> 
> See you around!
> 
> Riza xx

 

 

> **_"I will be here_ **
> 
> **_When you think you’re all alone_ **
> 
> **_Seeping through the cracks_ **
> 
> **_I’m the poison in your bones_ **
> 
> **_My love is your disease_ **
> 
> **_I won't let it set you free_ **
> 
> **_Til I break you"_ **
> 
>  

 

Even though Harry had known it was coming,

had feared that it was,

nothing could have prepared him for the war actually crashing over them like it did.

The wards in the sky, protecting them, giving a few last preciously fragile moments to share a tensed look with your loved ones, grip the wand tighter in your sligthly shaking hand and  _pray_ , came crashing down only after a few minutes of standing still and glittering, strong. There was a Death Eater among all the others standing tall in the very first line, stuck next to a pale headed snake-like man, his wand pointed high up into the sky and slowly shimmering their defenses into nothingness.

Seeing the fading light cascade over pale blonde curls did some nasty things to Harry's stomach, pinching it, twisting it into knots, bale rising in his throat.

Because Harry knew that head, the one that had spelled doom on them when an endless sea of black robed messengers of death started to quickly flow towards the castle. How could he not know, when he was kissing the bloke not 24 hours earlier?

They would have come through either way, his brains supplied him with information. Yes, it didn't matter it was Draco who took down their wards... but still Harry's heart cracked just the tiniest bit seeing that blonde head there.

He wanted them to stand side by side, hold their hands like he saw Lupin and Tonks do just a tad bit further from him. Tonks had flown in a few minutes earlier, unable to let them fight without her. Harry understood her, he really did. He wanted to run to the other side right this moment and snatch the blonde to be with him, standing at the apex of it all - but how could he do something so selfish?

He never could.

Harry was here to save these people, save them and him. Protect those he cared for, fighting alongside them; against them for a brighter future without Tom Marvolo Riddle there, breaking families and souls as a past time hobby.

 

That's why it was such a deterring shock when the battle _began_.

When people fell to spells cast in improbable times, eyes slowly losing their light, bloodied hands and other body parts all around him, surrounding them in the gore of war.

When there were so many pangs, shouts of distress, pain, agony, filling his ears and filling up his mind with a choking cacophony.

Smoke filled the air, stones cracked, leaving the grounds unfamiliar in their devastation.

Flashes of silver, orange, purple red - and green,

Deadly green.

They were suffering.

The safety measures kept them at an advantage, but for how long?

Gone was the merry atmosphere when Fred and George had arrived with Lee Jordan, trunks filled with all kinds of tricks and gadgets, silly grins on their faces. Everyone buzzing around them in wonder of their minds, certain in their usefulness. Occasional bursts of laughter flowing in these corridors, now broken down and full of rubble, an occasional hidden jinx hitting a man masked in black.

The Death Eaters were set out to make them surrender in a bloody and ruthless way.

Harry saw a body falling to the ground in front of his eyes but could not look who it was, was the person even alive? He had to keep on fighting, firing spells at dark figures cackling in mania and blood-thirst - a cackle he so well knew.

Bellatrix Lestrange was on the front of the chaos, wielding a foreign wand and her eyes gleaming in madness, lips curled upwards to reveal a predatory smile, growing wilder with every curse she threw at them, at every wound that wracked someone's body open to bleed red, red blood.

But what even she did not expect - no one ever could have, except Hermione Granger, the doer of the feat - was how every wound she wished on others, appeared on her pale skin, too, marring the skin in red, making her even more unsteady she had been on her tortured feet.

Bellatrix looked down her body a peculiar, disbelieving look on her face, eyes roaming over the crevices left bleeding, scarring. A plumb red lip started trembling and she shook so viciously it was unbelievable she was still standing, holding a new wand in her hand. Her eyes flew open in pure, grimacing rage that sounded out in an earsplitting scream that tore from her throat in all its painful rawness and the billowing hatred shining through.

"Potter!!!!" she shrieked and shot her murderous eyes at him, dripping with venom. "What did you do to me!?"

Harry couldn't have answered her even if she had applied to use veritaserum. It wasn't him, it was the solemn witch standing by his side, stunning another Death Eater before her eyes narrowed on Bellatrix, who couldn't quite make it to them as they were on the opposite sides of the room a deathly valley of curses flying in between. It only made her screech louder and madder.

"I figured it was time for her to reap what she sows", Hermione said frankly, her eyes rimmed with anger, "God knows she's done enough bad deeds to last a couple hundred lifetimes."

Ron looked as awed as Harry felt. He patted the frizzy haired friend of theirs on the back before turning and casting a proteco on a boy couple years younger than them, in danger of being stomped under a pile of rubble.

"You're amazing 'Mione", Ron said after turning back to her, blue eyes grinning as widely as his mouth was, "Bloody brilliant."

The words were filled to the prim with the purest, most honest kind of belief so Hermione blushed momentarily, while keeping up with their ever changing opponents.

"I just didn't want her here, killing innocents for fun - for revenge in something we did out of necessity", she said softly, and the boys stayed silent, knowing sometimes silence was more valuable than gold.

 

Every once in a while, there was a prickle in the lightning bolt scar on his temple, making a foreign unease known.

 

Every once in a while, there was an unknown anger rising inside of him, making Harry almost  _se_ _e.._

 

 _..A_ _starry sky,_

_stars blinking,_

_th_ _e multiple colors of jinxes and curses lighting up the darkening grounds, a lone man watching it all, with that disgusting fear still whispering in his ear, making its unwanted presence forever known._

_A wand, the Elder Wand, swirled in his fingers, humming with an almost visible power._

_It was a wand suiting **him**  perfectly as he was the most powerful wizard in history.. _

_Only.._

_there was something off in it.._

_The wand rested in a skeletal palm, connecting them better once more - and there it was again._

_That discord in their minds, a distortion in their wishes._

_He could not face the boy with a disobedient wand. Merlin knew that had happened too many times already, making **him** a laughing stock to the idiots of Light. His anger welled again, wanting to burst free violently, making all those around **shudder** in fear of him.._

_The man turned around, baring his back on the desperate fight going on down on the grounds before he vanished from the spot._

_It was regrettable, yes - but power meant it all, power excused it all._

_Lord Voldemort would have his victory._

 

 

 

Draco hurried along the school corridors, desperately trying to find Harry. He had avoided most of the brawl, doing something here and there - mostly firing spells at unsuspecting Death Eaters and thus helping the Chosen One. He suddenly saw Amycus Carrow round the corner in front of him, a big toothy smile covering his wrathful face. It was such luck, such unbelievably good luck he couldn't help but smile as he pointed his wand at him and petrified his body in midstep. 

Amycus stayed standing for a second before he collapsed on the ground, face down. Draco watched in amusement and walked beside him, tilting the helpless body so he could see the lively eyes, looking at his sinister smile.

"We meet again, Carrow", Draco greeted and watched the eyes stare at him in an angry glare, "But I doubt.. you'll remember it. _Obliviate._ "

Precision slipped off from dark eyes and Draco smirked gleefully before hexing the man for good and hurrying along afterwards. He had to erase their memories of him - it wouldn't do for the Dark Lord to find out what he was doing there after all.

In the end, he didn't run into Potter, but Potter ran into him.

Quite literally.

Draco rounded a corner to the left only to hear something bump into him from behind. Wand ready, he turned only to see green eyes staring at him in surprise and.. a flicker of hurt flashed there. Neither had time to process that, though, because a hex flew straight at them and Draco flicked his wrist to counter it while Potter sent an answering hex its way.

"So, how's it going?" Draco asked and saw Granger and Weasley were there, too, fighting off a couple Death Eaters and speedily stunning them.

"Would be better if you hadn't taken down the wards", Harry growled before looking mad at himself.

Draco wanted to sigh but only obliviated another Death Eater seeing him with Potter and said: "You know exactly why I did that, no don-"

But he never got further, because suddenly Potter slumped down to the ground, conveniently enough when no other Death Eaters were coming at them. Granger and Weasley were next to him in a moment, protecting him while who-knew-what was going on. His eyes were closed but his head was moving, alongside with his mouth, whispering something unaudible.

"He's got Snape", the boy gasped between breaths, "they're at the Shrieking Shack. We gotta go there."

And he pushed himself up and Draco deduced it was one of those 'seeing into the Dark Lord's thoughts' things as unease gripped at him.  _Him_ having Snape somewhere alone was not a good thing.

"We must hurry", he said gravely and the heir of the Malfoy fortune  _ran_ to save his fellow spy.

It was a rare sight to see.

And a harsh trip to do.

first of all: it was obvious to all the others as the castle was stuffed with people.

Second of all: it was freaking dangerous to run in a sea of random curses.

Third of all: it was quite dubious to find Draco Malfoy running with the Chosen One and his Golden Trio.

So of course he ran a bit behind them, throwing a haphazard curse here and there to keep up appearances. Funnily enough, no one stopped them.

The following had another reason, too, one the young Malfoy did not want to admit: they knew the way while Draco didn't. Such an embarrassment, such a disgrace.. So Draco kept following while pretending to know he knew where they were going when ducking down into a tunnel under the Whomping Willow (who would have thought?) and continuing on a earthen tunnel to their destination. Luckily no one doubted him, as Potter was still clutching at his scar a pained expression on his face, all the while Granger and Weasley whispered something to each other and occasionally to Potter, too. Draco had that outsider feeling again, but he kept on going, because Snape was there and he was going to save the man.

The idea of once trying to push the blame on the Potions Master was another sensitive spot for Draco. He could be such a git at times....

They made it there just in time to hear the finale.. 

Hid under Potter's cloak, barely, they listened as  _he_ spoke in Riddles and how Snape paled, second after second more as he started to understand just what his Lord was talking about. Nagini was there, too, slithering in a bubble-like cage near her Master, eyeing the dark man in front of her hungrily.

Her presence prompted another discussion: should they go for it and slay the Dark Lord here, out of sight? It was an extremely hushed conversation, processed via a piece of parchment.

 **We should do it NOW** , Potter wrote,  **they are all here, why wait.**

 **What if it doesn't work? And Snape's here.. As well as that snake, we must kill her first, but that cage around her looks tough..**  Granger argued.

 **It's just a snake. One slays it while the rest bounce on _him_. Easy** , weasel shared his opinion, which  _could_ have worked, if not..

Draco snatched the piece from weasel quite ruthlessly and scribbled down fast.

**No, Snape said to me once how he has something to tell you when this day comes closer. I had the impression it was important, but he refused to tell why or what it was.**

They looked at him for a long while, Snape's last second ticking away faster and faster. 

" _You've been a good and faithful servant, Severus, but only I can live forever._ "

A strangled gasp was heard from the room they were in after that disturbing sentence and their heads whipped up to see Snape's head stuck in the cage, with  _her_.

Draco shuddered heavily as his eyes almost popped out of his head.  _He_ could be so vicious..

Nagini bit her huge front teeth into Snape's neck and blood flowed out like from a fountain. Voldemort looked on in silence, before collecting her cage with him and sharing one last look at the dying, painfully breathing man, horrible gurgling sounds coming from his neck. Then he was gone and Potter gasped in relief by his side.

Draco didn't waste a second on them, instead, he flew to Snape's side, pulling that small vial out from his pocket with a couple other potions before forcing the first down the teared throat. Snape's eyes recognized him and Draco kept on talking softly to the man: "It's good we prepared for this; I'm going to get you fixed, don't worry.."

He pointed his wand at the wound and tried the healing spells he knew, some working better than the others - it was such a luck of a draw with the blasted snake's venom.

It stitched closed, finally and Draco made the man drink another potion before giving more of the snake venom antidote from the small bottle. Snape was looking better after a slew of healing spells that left Draco exhausted and a few blood replenishing potions. He was still pale and sweaty, but his breathing was better. Draco sighed in relief: he'd done it.. Thank Merlin.

"Potter", was what the stubborn Potions Master rasped out, instead of a 'thanks for saving my life' to Draco, "Take these to Dumbledore's office."

His voice was soft and fragmented as well as sore as hell when he put his wand to his temple and a silvery sphere so familiar to Draco floated out. Granger hastily conjured a little bottle to store them. Snape looked satisfied and coughed a little.

"They'll tell you all.. you need to.. know", was his last words before he closed his eyes and the potions as well as injuries dragged the man to sleep. Draco looked up and met three pairs of baffled eyes staring at him.

"I didn't bloody hell know you can heal too", weasel said in awe, venomously annoyed at being impressed.

"I knew this could be a possibility in the future.. I only hoped he wouldn't do it with  _avada kedavra_.." Draco admitted and Granger looked pleased.

"You really think of everything, don't you Draco?"

"Of course - how else could all the things Slytherin be so immaculately done? Just think about those badges I made in fourth year.." Draco looked at Potter a bit drawn back, "Erm, well sorry? But they _were_ exceptionally well done."

After an awkward silence, Draco motioned to Snape and said: "You go check those memories. I'll keep watch on him here and then we'll come back up to fight."

Potter met his gaze and Draco saw such certainty there he immediately knew it was all going to be okay. Snape wasn't dead, they knew _he_ had the snake in a bubbly cage and was content to duel against Potter now. What could go wrong?

With a nod, the Golden Trio disappeared back into the tunnel and Draco turned to look after Snape. He proceeded to cast a couple diagnostic spells and then cleaning the soot off of the Professor.

Only the content of those memories kept nagging at his mind.. Why couldn't Snape tell him?

 

 

 

Harry surfaced from the memories and drew in a deep breath, his mind a mess.

What he'd just seen..

It made sense.

It horribly made sense.

To all his unanswered questions and inquiries over the years from his mysterious Headmaster with twinkling blue eyes and half-moon glasses. To the sorrowful looks he was once exposed to.

Harry was a horcrux, a link to Voldemort's existence. He had to die.

The realization tore his heart raw and open and he stumbled to the ground, glad Hermione and Ron weren't there as they had to stay and fight a flew of Death Eaters on their way from the castle after Voldemort's latest.. announcement.

Harry to him for stopping the war.

He laughed a hollow laugh. How convenient it was that he learned this right when the promise for his life against many was made. He had to do it anyway, go die by his hand. Hermione and Ron's faces surfaced in his mind and such sorrow, such deep sadness overtook him.. until he saw a pale blonde face of Malfoy.. then the painful sorrow roamed over him, having been too much for him to bear. Harry grit his teeth and stood up, looking one last time at the pensieve.

He had to do this; to end this all. For once and for all.

It didn't matter how much he hadn't the time to do things he could have, what all he could have gotten, what kind of future he could have had - he wasn't supposed to get any of it anyway.

Voldemort was  _inside him_. No wonder they shared that strange emotion/memory line connecting them. Because Harry, too, was inside Voldemort, seeing the Tom Riddle inside no one knew about. He could see his fear of death, see his most sacred thoughts.

It was like a devil living inside him; he being a devil inside  _him_.

And which of them had sown more discord to the other through this link?

Who had caused more grief and anger to take over the other?

Did it even matter anymore, at this point?

Harry drew his father's Invisibility Cloak over his shoulders and descended the stairs down, only to see his friends gasping for air there, a few Death Eater bodies unconscious by their feet. Hermione had made them train in the woods, intense training to have a chance against older and more sinister foe. Harry couldn't use his new prowess now.

After a slight pause, he slipped a note Hermione and walked away, tears threatening to fall from his green eyes.

_Watch the pensieve memories. Finish it for me, will you? Harry_

He just couldn't look back without loosing all his resolve to do the right thing.

So he kept on going, head held high, silent tears for his friends flowing from his eyes in the only evidence of his crushing sadness.

His only solace in the path to an unknown tomorrow were the rising chests of most of the bodies laying on the way in piles of rubble.

 

 

 

Snape had opened his eyes again a while ago, looking much more.. not deathly pale, pale as the man was.

But that wasn't what Draco was stumped over for. It was what the man had reluctantly told him just now, looking guilty and sad.

Well he should be!

Draco couldn't believe his ears! Dumbledore had raised Harry to  _die_ _!?_ That was insane!

"But.. but" he stuttered, Draco never stuttered, "But he won't go, right? No possibility to happen, right?"

Even Draco knew his voice was unnaturally high and he was being close to hysteric again.

Snape looked at him almost pitifully.

"He.. is  _Potter_ , Draco", were the grave Potion Master's words and Draco slumped down, his knees not agreeing to carry his wight anymore.

Tears prickled at his eyes - and Draco  _never_ cried, in public anyway. They welled in his eyes and Draco lifted his hand to unconsciously wipe them away. Snape looked at him quite worriedly now. Draco laughed hollowly.

"He'll go -he's Potter -he'll go - why has he have to go there? He's Potter, of course he'll go there. T-to  _die_. Why? He's Potter-" 

"Draco!" Snape's harsh bellow that caused a painful coughing fit stopped him from continuing that numbing mantra. Instead he was left to realize he sat on the ground in an inelegant heap and that Potter was going to cease to exist any second now.

Now the tears were rather uncontrollable, flowing down his cheeks and making everything blurry, his nose runny and everything so disgusting! Draco hated crying..

It was unfair.

So, so unfair.

Why had it always have to be Potter doing all the sacrificing in the end?

Now loosing even his life!?

 

 

 

_Don't go. We have unfinished business Potter!_

Harry sobbed at the message from Malfoy a ghost of a smile on his lips.

It had heated up in his pocket as he was on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, ready to go in.

He drew in a shaky breath and looked down at the galleon. What could he answer? Why had he even picked it up when letting go already hurt so much?

_I believe you can outduel him, Draco. Is it unfinished if it never even began?_

_It is! Don't go.. Although I know you will. I just hope you won't be alone._

Harry hardly saw in front of him anymore. Picking that galleon up had been the worst decision he had made; his chest now ached with a dull thud to go to Draco, see that infuriating grin one last time, do it all without fear, without pretense. Just them.

But he couldn't. He had to die.

_Don't go alone._

Then he remembered, the snitch, the strange message.  _I open at the close_.

So Dumbledore.

 

 _I am not alone,_ read on the galleon as his final message.

Maybe it would ease some of Draco's pain, it did that for Harry; being sent off by his own parents as a gift from Dumbledore. Parents he never knew but loved nonetheless, by his godfather so early taken from him. All walking him off with encouragement and words of love. A kind smile from his mother, being held by the shoulder protectively by his father, grim but sure and Sirius.. His consoling words to Harry.

_"Does it hurt?" Harry'd asked._

_"Dying? Not at all. Quicker and easier than falling asleep." was his reply, bringing so much ease to taking a step after another to do just as his godfather had promised; like falling asleep._

So no.

Harry definitely was not alone as those red eyes regarded him with malicious glee.

He was with his family, loved ones, in whatever form they were there with him.

The resurrection stone dropped to the ground.

 

 

 

... he was not alone..

That was good.. Draco was jealous and also not of that person. He didn't really know did he want to watch how Harry hit the ground, all life gone from his mesmerizing green eyes, as green as the killing curse itself?

Perhaps he didn't want to.

Only hearing about it, merely thinking about it left him a mess on the floor.

If he was being honest, he looked worse than Snape - and that was a feat as the man had almost kissed death an hour or two earlier.

Snape who was standing up.. wait that wasn't supposed to happen.

Draco jumped up, only to fall against the wall as his legs were like jello for a while. He glared at the man in front of him, standing while leaning against a wall, too.

"you're not supposed to be up", he accused sternly, a vision of Poppy Pomfrey coming to mind clearly in that moment.

Snape glowered at him and took a step towards the tunnel.

"I am. It's far from over. With Potter gone, we need all elements of surprise we can get. We have work to do Draco, so I'd be pleased if one of us could _walk_ ", Snape sneered, the jab at his unnecessary immobility perfectly clear. Draco pounced off of the wall and levitated the Professor without bothering to ask for consent and started down the tunnel before the man could disagree with his method of.. transport.

"Put me down,  _now_ , Draco!" the man growled threateningly, or as threateningly as one could with a raspy voice and a coughing fit to add to the mix.

"Didn't you just  _beg_ to be assisted, sir? I'm only doing as I was told", Draco sneered, arguing with Snape making his head clear a little of the mangling mess it had momentarily become.

They  _did_ have work to do.

Potter believed in him.

Draco could only hope he was worth that trust.

 

 

 

Harry could feel his heartbeat.

It was so strange. All that had happened. Meeting Dumbledore, knowing he could  _live_ again, do all he wanted.

Harry felt better than in ages.

He could suddenly hear feet moving to his periphery, a pair of elegantly dressed, feminine feet. A woman knelt by his side and he could smell a calming scent coming from her as she checked for his pulse by moving in close to him.

"Is he okay? Is Draco okay in the castle?" a soft inquiry made Harry finally know who the woman was: Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother. Who was perhaps helping him.

"He is, I saw him just before", he answered and heard a little exhale in relief.

Narcissa stood back up and declared calmly: "He is dead, My Lord."

Harry was sure to keep quiet and still as strong, big arms lifted him up.

Hagrid.

A heartbroken Hagrid gently lifting him up off the ground and into his arms, by Voldemort's orders, to carry him to the castle to show how _he_ was invincible. The half giant was sobbing so hard he didn't notice Harry was alive, which was good, of course. No need to really die before getting the chance to live was right there in front of him. Harry could already see it, clearly visioning what he wanted. 

 

 

 

Draco and Snape had just survived out of the tunnel when a wave of grief pulsed over them, echoing on in the structures all around them, carrying the grieving sound far. His steps slowed down, with great care he moved towards it, only to see a huge growd in front of him. Battered witches and wizards, grieving a loss.

Harry.

Draco could see him, because Hagrid was a tall man, towering over everyone else and there, in his arms, was cradled a body. So much smaller than the half giant's so much more fragile than Draco remembered. So much colder now.

He might've missed it, just as he missed Neville Longbottom drawing a sword from a hat and slaying a giant snake, not residing inside a bubble anymore, but he was looking straight at Harry so he saw,  _he saw_ how his hand moved and in the next second his body disappeared.

His jaw drobbed as a huge commotion broke out, wands were being pulled out and pointed, it was such a chaos, but only one thing - one absolutely wondrous thing - registered in his mind. Potter was alive. A huge grin broke out on his face.

It shone for a second maybe, until a skillet made contact with his shin and he yelled out, looking down outraged to see...

"Dobby?" Draco's voice was incredulous.

Never could he have expected his former house elf to suddenly hit him with a skillet..

"Young master Malfoy", Dobby exclaimed, as surprised as he was, until resolution shone in those big eyes and Draco knew, from experience he didn't want to live again, that Dobby was up to no good when that look overtook him.

"Hold on with that skillet! Can't you see I'm escorting a victim to be healed? Besides, I'm on your side", Draco tried explaining, but Dobby wouldn't believe him so easily, only glancing at Snape briefly.

"How can-" he never got further, because Draco saw a stray curse coming their way and pushed the elf out of the way before ducking behind a big boulder, where he set Snape down. The man didn't look happy. On the other hand.. Dobby definitely was. He stood there, gaping at Draco like he was some otherworldly being.

"Young master saved Dobby! How grateful Dobby is!" he said almost crying now. Draco sighed - he had so much better things to do..

"A little thing, Dobby. Go whack at some other Death Eater - I gotta find Harry", and he didn't stay to listen as Dobby's ears perked up at the name and he was ready to ask something, but Draco was long gone already.

 

The further on he got, the messier it got.

Chaos, pure uncontrollable chaos everywhere. The newly gladden crowd of fighters of the Light were dueling harsher and better than ever, revived by the news of Harry living. But there were still quite a few nasty Death Eaters around. Knowing it was no use to keep up appearances anymore, Draco shed his robes on the floor in a random pile and shot a stunner at a wizard ready to cast a killing curse on some Order member. When the man fell to the floor, the saved guy turned and to his amazement, Draco knew him.

"Professor Lupin! Been a while", he greeted and skitted to the Great Hall by the almost as stunned man as the Death Eater lying on the floor. It was packed, curses flying around here too. 

Draco grinned wildly. Now he could finally show how good he'd gotten.

He gripped his wand tighter and started dancing among them all, seeing his surroundings with his magic, saving, hexing, confusing as much as he could, never once stopping moving to find Potter. It felt revitalizing after his crying fit to spend it all on those around him, those men he was once teamed up with, now looking at him betrayal shining from their eyes.

Draco didn't care.

Maybe he should have.

Because suddenly, right as he'd hexed dear Bella away from a poor student about to be stabbed to death (why the hell stabbed? he thought briefly),

red, red eyes met his silver ones.

A memory of cold skin on his freezing being surfaced in that moment and he shuddered violently, despite everything that had happened afterwards.

_He could not not-remember._

Those red, red eyes lingered on his form taking in the direction his wand was pointing to and meeting a Bellatrix dancing before the dark haired witch canceled the spell. The moment between Master and his servant seemed to last forever, as those eyes turned to him again, this time..  _He_ was ballistic.

Chaotic magic whirled all around the hall as the Dark Lord's eyes bore into his and read one line of thought Draco wouldn't have once let surface: O-ou.

The crushing and devastating magic concentrated on a specific spot: him and continued pressuring everyone else immensely. The whole Great Hall was about to bow down to him. A wand tip was pointed to Draco, who could only trail as the predator closed in on his prey.

 

"Dra-"

 

"Voldemort!" the Dark Lord's venomous bite was interrupted when a black haired wizard jumped into view, right in front of Draco and stared daggers at the darkest wizard of all time.

 

"I believe I should be you opponent?" Harry Potter asked, confidently pointing his phoenix core wand at Voldemort, whose expression became even uglier than before when seeing them standing almost together.

 

The magic in the air became even more vicious now, it was inches away from making them  _kneel_.

 

"Harry Potter", Lord Voldemort spat the name out, looking at the two boys in front of him with absolute hatred and betrayal.

 

 

 


	9. Heaven Or Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heaven Or Hell - Digital Daggers
> 
> I guess this one is officially the last in Part 3 of Catching You.
> 
> It took some time but we made it here! I'm happy it's over but still I'm sad, too.
> 
> Luckily I've one last chapter for you, Part 4 which I'll post tomorrow, hopefully tomorrow.. to end this Series as it began: a one shot.
> 
> I'm happy if you liked this as much as I did writing this :)
> 
> Maybe we'll see each other around here later on, too, if a bug called inspiration bites me once more
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> Enjoy the finale~~
> 
> Sincerely Yours,
> 
> Riza xx

 

 

 

 

> **_"I am exposed, I am undone,_ **  
>  **_You tear the walls down one by one"_ **

 

 

"Harry Potter"

The name echoed in the suddenly silent Great Hall, everyone bating their breath to see this final confrontation between the leaders of both sides. The duel that would decide it all once and for all.

 

Harry had run along with the group of people figjhting to take refuge inside while giants battled outside, still securely under his Cloak. He saw many Death Eaters fall to his friends wands, saw the evil steadily being vanquished.

And then his green eyes caught the moment when red met silver in a lethal stare.

Draco Malfoy stopped short in his gorgeous dance over the Great Hall, helping the Light fight by brandishing all  _he'd_ taught him, only to accidentally land in front of his most feared enemy.

He donned no Death Eater robes anymore, clad in a silver shirt and black pants, blonde hair covering his head like an angel's standing in front of the Devil himself.

Harry had seen the wrecking trembles running down the boy's whole being at the eye contact, trembles Harry still remembered so clearly. Voldemort seemed to remember, too, for he smiled a vicious little grin before starting to call out for the frightened boy. Harry's feet moved by their own will, hurling him across the sea of people to stop in front of Draco, protectively facing the Dark Lord as was his destiny.

"And once again you have escaped the grip of Death", the Dark Lord said in a quiet yet deadly tone, his magic whirling all around him in a visible manifest of his fury.

"Even going as far as enthralling my followers,  _my servants._ "

Red eyes went back to look at Draco, who was still shivering under the gaze, reclaiming only a small piece of semblance as Harry had jumped in front of him.

"What I do has no need to be of interest to you, Riddle", Harry spat out and went to srand ecwn taller in front of the half dead man.

"How can it be true when what you are doing is killing me?" Voldemort asked in a shrill voice.

"It can be because that involved my life too. I wouldn't want to live with a dark Lord inside my head for an eternity. And now there are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me, Riddle. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good."

"One of us? You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?" Voldemort inquired in a mocking voice, carefully petting the wand in his hands.

"I can because I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?"

Lord Voldemort asked with a disdainful scoff, getting more annoyed by the minute: "Is it love again? Dumbledore's favourite solution, love, which he claimed conquered death …? So what will stop you dying now when I strike?… If it is not love that will save you this time, you must believe that you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?"

"I believe both." Harry simply said,

"And Dumbledore's plotting was something you fell for too. You see, it was never you who decided he should die, it was his own plea for Snape that took his life."

"Snape's dead now, too, just as is your precious Dumbledore. So tell me: why does it matter anymore?"

"I do believe I'm very much alive though, my Lord. But not thanks to you, no", a dark drawl, if not a bit scratchy and tired, sounded in the silence and Snape walked into the room, being the centre of attention immediately. Harry was surprised to see Dobby by his side, helping the Potions Master walk.

What happened next was such a fast paced hassle Harry had no idea what exactly went on, who cursed who and who screamed what.

Only later on when talking about the final battle did he hear how first Voldemort's magic had frozen on Snape making the man and house elf pair fall to the ground, followed by Bellatrix, still alive but subdued, until that point when she let out an inhuman shriek, stole a wand from an onlooker and fired a green killing curse straight at Harry.

It came as such a surprise he was still standing on the spot, not able to move out of the way nor help Snape, who was still kneeling on the ground under the power of _his_ magic, the snake-like man stalking to him like a whirlwind.

The curse was already right in front of Harry staring him dead in the eye.

Several gasps and wails were heard as well as a loud yell: " _Accio_ Potter!"

The next thing Harry knew, he was pressed hard against a chest, hands around him. Someone panting in relief behind him as the curse flew past them. Harry looked up to frantic silvery eyes staring at Bellatrix warily.

"You  _accioed_ me?" Harry asked incredulously, not even knowing such a thing was possible.

"Only your clothes - it's impossible to  _accio_ humans, anyway. Now get a move on! She's mad - or well - madder than usual today.." Draco urged him on just in time to jump out of the way of another one of her curses. It seemed she no longer cared if she died along with Harry. Damn mad witch.. She was dead set on making him perish and was a fine dueler, too, so it took some effort from Harry, very much, really, as he was her only target.

He caught a worried gasp from Draco and a straightening of his shoulders in decision before the blonde ran off to somewhere, while Harry shot a disarming charm her way. It  _was_ his most used charm in battles after all.

 

 

 

Once again, Draco was left wondering if he was mad - at the least he was acting  _very_ much out of character - but he could not just let Snape  _die_.

Earlier with Dobby it just had been convenient and most of all  _easy_ to save him. Just grab him while sidestepping a little and - tadaa!

Saved.

Easy.

Not this time.

This time would be nowhere near easy, because the one he had to stop was  _him._ Draco dreaded it already. He clutched his wand tightly in his hand and swallowed a little as his steps brought him closer and closer to that magical energy. Snape had been stupid to have come here - and the other people in the hall were cowards the lot of them, all watching on as a man was about to die, for Merlin's sake! Or they might have been stumped for words over what was happening. Either way, it was left for him to stop.

Draco sprinted to Snape, moving faster than  _him_ because well.. dark lords don't run. And Malfoys obviously did nowadays...

He skidded to a halt over them, like Potter had done earlier with him and Draco drew power from the knowledge he was not alone in this. Potter was there fighting too, Snape would if he could stand and so would Dobby. Oh, right, maybe no one helped because they couldn't get near. Draco had over time become almost immune to  _his_ magical pressure because of being subjected to it for long periods of time during their training, his own magic reacting to protect him from it. Now was not the time to think about such things, though, as  _he_ saw him standing there on guard.

"Draco", he purred out his name, making goosebumps travel all over him in repulsion. It was not a pretty sound.

"You dare stand on  _my_ way? You will receive your punishment when this is over..  _very slowly_."

Which also spelled out for:  _very painfully_.

"Spies stick together", he ground out, fighting off the desire to just run and never see the monster again, "And I saved him once already from you this evening - I'd rather not do that again, but what needs must..."

Red eyes pierced into his, seeing truth in what he said just then. Draco had never before seen Lord Voldemort lose his temper, but somehow he'd managed to incite  _him_ to start going berserk.

Maybe he should have stayed out of it after all......

It  _might_ be perilous to have given rise to the Dark Lord to go berserk in a hall full of people..

Or then again, it might only be perilous to Draco himself.

Gone were the lazy snaps of  _his_ wand and that cruel smile enjoying how Draco had to grovel and roll just to stay alive.

In their stead was a wrathfull monster firing spell after spell at Draco, wanting the boy  _gone_ right this second. Draco gulped and moved faster than ever before, rolling more swiftly than he ever had, pushing his body to stay out of  _his_ way. 

A nasty looking purple curse landed right next to his ear on the ground Draco was lying on and his eyes grew wide in terror. This was  _not_ something nice and easy! But he was rolling another way by the time the thought even flitted past his mind. 

"I sure taught you  _well_ Draco", _his_ voice seethed at him from somewhere further on in the room. "Such a slimy, slithery little snake you are.."

That didn't sound much like praise..

More like verbal cursing done by a pureblood.

Draco couldn't be bothered though, his time was dedicated to staying alive as once more curse hit near his legs, he was standing again and casting a  _proteco_ after a  _proteco_ before firing consecutive hexes  _his_ way.

He never even had a chance though; it was a miracle in itself he was even alive right about now.

Exhaustion was eating away at him, too, leaving his muscles powerless his magic weak. He'd done too much for one day already, having saved Snape and fought Death eaters all day long. Draco's breathing was dragged and he knew he couldn't keep it up any longer. Of course  _he_ knew it, too, had seen him like this so many times over time. They knew each other so well but so poorly at the same time. It was ridiculous, really.

So no following hex came when a deeply blackish color hit him in the arm, nearly blasting the limb away with it. Draco gasped in pain and cast a quick heling charm on it - only for it to not work. Curses.

A leer met him when their epic (or not so) fight stopped and  _he_ prowled quietlly to his side, red eyes unreadable but his whole demeanor spelled  _death, pain, suffering, anguish_.

"You came to the end of your flight, Draco. Why even bother fighting against me when you clearly know you cannot last even ten minutes?" his Lord's words were soft, meant for his ears only.

"Because i'm mad"; Draco said, looking up to those nefarious red eyes, without fear once again. It had left him as had his power. Only a tearing pain in his arm, growing in side over time.

"I am a Black you see? I blame my family. Why else would I do such a thing indeed? I'm a smart boy as we both know. Only because I care about that greasy git of a bat over there, I threw my brain out of my head.. It's pretty stupid isn't it?"

"You are being hysteric again", an observation was made and Draco could see how much he was still valued, how much  _he_ had come to care for Draco in his own way. He still did, because  _he_ didn't know the extent of his betrayal.

"It happens easier when I lose a lot of blood and am on the brink of death", Draco said easily, shrugging a little and grimacing right afterwards. The hand was  _bad_.

"You are?" Draco wondered why the voice was so casual, so inquiring. There had to be more to it..

"I am. No one disobeys you and lives to tell the tale, My Lord."

Draco felt shivers go down his spine when a slight, very strange, very malicious and merciless smile rose on those too thin lips. There was more to it..

"You're right as always Draco.. You won't tell the tale.. But I think I'll keep you.. to interest me", Voldemort said and waved his wand a little and the curse stopped growing but not throbbing painfully. The next flick and ropes bound him on the floor. Draco gulped, slowly starting to get what  _he_ meant. his eyes filled with the fear difficultly kept at bay till then. Another smile shook him to the core.

"Yes.."  _he_ all but hissed, "I will teach you fear. A skill you missed mostly.."

The snake-like face contorted in anger that sent a spark through  _his_ magic around the room.

"Because as I've come to notice - human beings are not to be trusted in any situation. They are prone for betrayal after all", Lord Voldemort growled out and took one more step to reach Draco, hunched on the ground. A skeletal hand reached out to touch his jaw and Draco shivered, flinching away, waiting for the chilling touch of coldness, heart pummeling in his chest in a plea to get out of this mess..

It never came.

Instead he got a fiery yell: " _Accio_ Draco's clothes!"

A fast pull lunged him backwards going along with his clothes, the wound on his arm acting up again and he hissed in pain. It hurt even more when he crashed into a chest and hit his head against a head with a loud  _thud!_

He groaned as the pull stopped and dropped him unceremoniously to the ground. He turned his head up a little to see Potter looking down at him and then at the Dark Lord, looking murderous once again as his prey got snatched right from under his nose - or slits or whatever one was supposed to call a noseless man?

Even Draco had to admit he'd forgotten for a while there was a giant hall full of people watching on at their little parade.. Definitely not something he would have liked to be there when he was cursed and forced to his knees..

"You okay?" Potter asked, showing him backwards to collide with tiny hands he recognized as Dobby's.

"Only bruised - he removed the curse earlier, thank Merlin.." Draco said and watched as Potter stepped out again, with no Bellatrix in sight. He looked to the left and saw her there, being defined by Granger and Weasley, with Granger's wand doing some twirling motion over her - no doubt hexing her so she could no longer be a problem. So they got something done, good. Dobby had removed the ropes binding him and Draco slumped to the ground next to a wheezing Snape.

"Told you not to move yet, old man", he forced out and watched the older man's lips twitch in amusement.

"Told you not to anger  _him_ \- or seduce or whatever you had going on in there.." Snape snarled back at him, with no energy to back the statement up. Not that it needed it.

"He only wants me afraid", Draco growled and glared daggers at the dark man, who looked at him, almost pitying.

"If that's what you believe", Snape only said silently before his dark eyes turned to watch Potter and Voldemort face off once again.

Draco followed his lead, absolutely not wanting to even think of the possibilities the Potions Master's words suggested. He was only a follower to the beast, nothing more. Perhaps a nice past time hobby at the most.

Even that sounded too much and made his throat clog up and his stomach to turn. Better just watch Potter get rid of the problem..

How come that made him uneasy, too?

 

 

 

"Potter.. you took something that is  _mine_ ", Voldemort growled at Harry the moment his red eyes snapped up to meet his green in a heavy stare.

"You take the words straight out of my mouth, Tom Riddle - didn't think that possible now that your soul doesn't reside within me anymore", Harry countered and sifted his wand a bit better in his hand. He was nervous, of course he was, but more than that, he was angry,  _protective_.

Draco had been shivering again when the two had talked - and Harry couldn't believe the vision still etched into his mind. The Dark Lord had been angry, sure, murderous, check, but the moment he'd seized Malfoy, it had dimmed, changed. his features softening a bit in their ire to only resemble annoyance and.. self hatred for letting that happen.

"Nonsense. We are much alike, true, but your intention is untrue. He is not yours but  _mine_. My Death Eater, forever marked by  _me_ ", quiet words flowed to Harry's ears and a slight tick appeared where a brow should have been.

"Look for yourself then", Harry beckoned and brought up memories with a slight cocky smile on his lips. 

_How did this come to this again?_

_Weren't they supposed to just hex each other and be done with it!?_

_No debates on whose Malfoy of all people was!!?_

But his thoughts were disrupted when a presence became known in his mind, taking a look at the memories Harry brought up. Of them in the Room of Requirement, touching, kissing, smirking. Of messages in the galleon, Harry's smiles. Of their encounters afterwards, about  _the wand_.

Voldemort retreated from his mind in a vicious manner, leaving a pounding in his wake, and was trembling from fury a few feet from Harry, his eyes screaming, blazing in a red fury, the magic easily covering the whole of the Great Hall in its malice. The skeletal jaw was ground tight in an attempt to groom his anger as he watched at Harry, refusing to look to blonde and silver.

Without saying anything more, driven by mad hate, the Dark Lord lifted his wand while Harry mimicked his motion, drawing power from his will,  _want_ , to protect his loved ones.

" _Avada Kedavra!_ "

" _Expelliarmus!_ "

A green and red sphere of intense magic met in the middle in a resounding  _boom!_ shaking the whole hall all the while red and green eyes were locked in a heated stare.

Harry would never fire to kill. Not even to kill this half-man in front of him. And as Draco had said, it  _was_ his signature spell.

The sphere's were locked in a stalemate, before suddenly, the Elder Wand started to twist and turn in a skeletal hand, slipping away and flying through the glittering, rumbling spheres to Harry's hand.

Red won over green as it did, the spell rebounding into the chest of Tom Marvolo Riddle once again, binding him to death.

Or as Dumbledore had told him, into an eternal limbo.

Harry felt bad for the man, so wronged by Fate.

Nothing had gone well for him since the day he was conceived.

Fate could be cruel like that. 

it was honestly no wonder he had turned out so bad as he had. Without the ability to love everything was bleak, cold and full of hatred.

Harry didn't know if it would have been more merciful to let him live than force him into that limbo, eternal suffering, maybe even more painful than Hell.

Tom Riddle was neither in Heaven nor Hell.

His mortal body fell back lifelessly, without a wand, the eternal blaze dying from red eyes as his body hit the ground.

Harry stood there, clutching at two wands in his hands and looked down at it, not really comprehending it had ended yet. He felt empty somehow.

What was he supposed to do now?

There was no more Dark Lords left to torment him, to force him to fight. No prophecies to curse at, no evil at the second to vanquish. No people to save.

That had been his whole life for so long, his whole life in fact.

Now what?

After a beat in silence as everyone took in the sight of their Savior standing as the victor, the Great Hall erupted into cheers and everyone cornered Harry, clapping him in the back, hugging him, praising him.

People going to their families, friends, loved ones. checking to see if they were alive, well.

Ron and Hermione walked over to him, Ron clapping his shoulder in a brotherly way.

"It's over now, mate", he announced, cheerful and suddenly Hermione had pulled them all into a tight hug.

Harry heard her crying in their warm embrace, letting all the tension go away.

"I'm so happy we are all okay. The Weasley's are fine, even Percy showed up! Remus and Tonks checked each other's backs and the teachers... our friends.. even Snape survived", she listed out their names, making a stone fall off from on top of Harry's heart in knowing they were fine.

"Good", he ground out and hugged them tighter still.

"It worked, the plan. I heard Remus tell how he almost got hit by a stray curse but Tonks noticed and pushed him away - he was also saying something about Mafloy-" Hermione's words got cut short when Harry quite violently pulled himself out of the hug and turned panickedly to look over to where Malfoy and Snape had been with Dobby - only to see no one there.

He cursed aloud, shocking the socks out off anyone nearby hearing him and storming off without giving another look to anyone else. probably gossiping how their Savior had a fool mouth. if only he cared a rat's ass about it.

_Shit!_

_He'd momentarily forgotten how Draco was injured._

He ran around the hall, looking left and right, seeing only smiling or crying faces over friends or bodies. It was such a contradictory atmosphere there, both sad and happy, despairing and hopeful.

Finally he recognized the tell tale robes of Snape and ran over to there, only to see Malfoy sit in front of a fuzzy Poppy Pomfrey bustling all over him, berating him with mixed feelings.

"You silly boy, you should have told me! Or you couldn't have really done that, now could you? But that you learned it all to save him from a snake bite? Or possibly another kind of dark curse? Silly, wonderful boy.." 

Malfoy looked sheepish and blushed a little at her words and overall hovering around him like a mother hen.

"Thank you for teaching me, Poppy. Despite, you know", he said and looked away at the words, his left arm twitching a little.

Madam Pomfrey turned grave at his words.

"I must admit I had my doubts at the time, but I believe no one can harm a person by learning to heal them and so I taught you. Despite it all. And it was a deed well done, now wasn't it?" she said kindly but with a serious edge to her words, Draco nodding at her.

She turned around and saw Harry standing there, her face blanked for a second before she glided to him and started to look him all over for wounds or bruises.

"Such a reckless but brave thing to do, Mr Potter. you could have hurt yourself badly there", she started chiding him on his turn and Harry looked helplessly over her shoulder at the sitting blonde, watching him with unreadable silvery eyes, a little smile gracing his lips.

"You okay?" Harry mouthed to him over Madam Pomfrey's shoulder and felt relieved when the blonde nodded.

Another patient came when she had healed some minor bruises Harry had gotten from who knows where and he was finally left alone. he moved closer to the makeshift bed Draco was sitting on, but was interrupted by a thud to his stomach. He looked down to see Dobby hugging him fiercely, tears running down his cheeks.

"Mister Harry Potter has saved us all! Such bravery! And young master Malfoy saved Dobby! How happy Dobby is!" he wailed in a loud voice making Dracco sift uncomfortably on the bed.

"It wasn't a big deal Dobby, give it a rest already - that's the fifth time I hear you telling someone! I was just tagging you along with me, no trouble for me!" Draco said, looking troubled and annoyed. Harry looked at him in awe.

"you saved Dobby? A house elf?" he asked incredulously and Malfoy sneered at him angrily.

"Even I don't enjoy watching anyone die, Potter. As I said: it was convenient, no trouble at all", he stressed the words and looked like the world was wronging him somehow. Harry couldn't quite understand why it was so. Wasn't it an honorable thing to save someone?

The blonde opened his mouth to say something snarky, no doubt, when another blonde head came into view and crushed the boy into a suffocating hug.

"My dragon", Narcissa Malfoy breathed against her son, sounding so relieved, so happy, "How afraid I was when he cursed you. are you alright?"

She asked, suddenly backing away and lifting first Draco's left and then right arm for injuries that may have escaped Madam Pomfrey's eyes. Harry doubted it was even possible.

"I'm alright, mother", Draco said warmly, full of love, taking her hands in his and stilling her disquiet emotions. They locked gazes, both finding solace in each other and then they smiled a little before Narcissa drew her son into another hug.

"I'm so proud of you, my dragon. You were amazing, resilient, fearless, brave, even", she softly praised him.

To his discomfort, Harry suddenly found Lucius Malfoy standing next to him, looking as uncomfortable as Harry felt. They stood stiffly still until Harry sighed heavily and said in a short, curt greeting:

"Mr Malfoy."

The older Malfoy's tired and worn down face turned to him briefly, before it relaxed and to his surprise, Harry heard him say:

"I guess I have to thank you, Potter. Both for saving my son and saving us all from a dark lord."

"You don't have to do it", Harry said after the shock died down enough for him to be able to speak, "But I'm glad you did."

They met eyes for a brief second and the mood between them settled down to bearable as they watched Narcissa pet and treasure Draco, who started to look embarrassed as Harry was there, staring at him.

"Mother", he said trying to get his mother's attention, "I guess you haven't  _really_ met Potter yet? We've been in touch over the year as I helped him and he me."

his words did get Narcissa's attention and she turned around to look at Harry.

Suddenly a not-so-pleasant memory from Diagon Alley rose to his mind; one where he kinda bashed her.

"Hi Mrs Malfoy", Harry said fast, before she could tell him about it, "I'm sorry for what I did few years back. And thank you - I owe you my life - Ah! Bu-but I'm not apologizing because of it, but because I truly think I did wrong and didn't know you-"

"Now you're being hysteric Potter", Malfoy drawled, amused by his comfy spot on the bed and made Harry blush.

"Am not - I'm being courteous", he snapped at the git, who lifted an eyebrow at him, looking _so infuriatingly Malfoy_ Harry wanted to shut him up again - until he realized he couldn't really to that here, with all the eyes on them. Instead he gritted his teeth and glared at the boy hard, expressing that way just what he would have otherwise done. by the smirk on pale pink lips, Malfoy got what he meant. Harry almost growled in frustration when the blonde slowly licked at his lips, still looking innocent to any other person but Harry while doing so.

Thankfully, Narcissa Malfoy, who had been following their exchange with interest in her eyes rose up and offered her hand at Harry, thus saving him from proud silver eyes looking too annoying in their obvious mirth.

"It's nice to officially meet you Mr Potter. I don't hold the past against you, don't worry. We all do what we must to survive", she said as Harry readily took her hand with a smile, when she pulled him into a hug, "Thank you for saving Draco, boy. I can also see you know each other well. Thank you for being by his side."

Harry marveled at the look on her face now, smiling and soft, motherly. Nothing like the upturned face that looked like she smelled something bad all the while. He tentatively wrapped his arms around her and accepted the hug, blushing a little.

"No, really, thank you. I find you a wonderful person even in this short moment - no mother so worried about their some can be bad", Harry said with an easy smile, finding it easier and easier to breathe properly after being so numb for so long.

His words elicited a frown to mar the blonde woman's face as she probably thought how Harry didn't have anyone like that.

She needn't have worried, though, as right at that second Hermione came pushing through the crowd in the wake of a frantic Mrs Weasley, her mouth pursed and eyes scrutinizing as she took Harry into a fierce hug.

"Harry dear, to disappear like that! You made us sick with worry!" she berated him all the while hugging and inspecting him.

"I'm sorry Mrs Weasley. But it's not like there are any more dark lords out to get me", he tried joking and got a pointed look from the woman so like a mother to him. She looked strick one second before she relented and sighed.

"I guess there aren't", she bedrudgingly admitted but added, "Don't you dare disappear anywhere on your own, though! Merlin knows you always end up in trouble!"

Harry stayed silent for a while before ruffling his hair self-consciously: "I'll.. try?"

Mrs Weasley didn't look exactly happy about his answer, but nonetheless, she pulled him into another warm and crushing hug.

"That's the best I can get from you boy, isn't it?" she mumbled before separating from Harry enough to see where he was and when spotting the Malfoy's her face grimmed a little.

"I'll keep him covered Mrs Weasley", Hermione chirped from behind her and skirted to stand next to Harry and whispering in his ear: "Room of Requirement in half an hour."

Harry nodded, before turning to Narcissa to avoid a tense moment between the families known to not regard each other nicely.

"Mrs Weasley, meet Mrs Malfoy. She saved my life today by lying to Voldemort", Harry made the introductions with an easy smile, like he wasn't telling a ground breaking surprise.

As expected, Mrs Weasley's eyes opened wide as she took Narcissa in, before smiling warmly at the taller and thinner woman.

"Thank you Mrs Malfoy, for saving this reckless boy of mine", she said warmly and wrapped one of Narcissa's hands in hers.

Narcissa shot a wry look to Harry, before smiling in her calming way to Molly and saying: "It's nothing Mrs Weasley, please, call me Narcissa. I do believe we'll be seeing each other more in the future. I hope we can be civil about it and hopefully become friends?"

Now Molly beamed at her and said enthusiastically: "Call me Molly, dear. I can always make Arthur behave even in the presence of his.. rivals.."

Narcissa nodded understandingly and shot a look at Lucius, standing there stiffly: "I can handle Lucius, too, so no worries, Molly. I'm sure we'll get along just fine.."

Harry could hardly believe his eyes as the women started talking while Lucius looked even more uncomfortable than with standing next to Harry just then.

Women were scary creatures.

Even Hermione had this glint in her eyes that told Harry she was plotting something, probably along the lines of getting Ron and Draco to get along while pulling Harry into the mess, too.

Suddenly he felt  _very_ exhausted and plobbed himself down on the bed next to Draco, laying his head on a soft pillow.

"Why didn't anyone tell me vanquishing Dark Lords was this taxing..?" he mumbled to the pillow and heard Draco chuckle while sitting on the other side of the bed.

"Who would you have asked, Potter? There's only Dumbledore and you that've done it. And if he didn't tell you years ago then I can point you no other soul to blame", the blonde said with a smile, to which Harry answered leisurely.

"Oh? And here I tought I could take this as a whole time job.. such a disappointment.. comfort me Malfoy", Harry joked and earned a laugh and a flick to his temple.

"In your dreams, Potter", the Malfoy heir laughed and Harry silently mused he would certainly get some 'comfort' from the blonde in his dreams...

 

 

 

Half an hour or so later Draco sat on a comfortable armchair in the Room of Requirement looking on as a herd of excited and merry student drank a bit too much and made noise a tad bit too much.

And worst of all, most of them were.. wait for it.. 

 _Gryffindors_.

Such distaste Draco had no idea how he'd even gotten involved with the bunch in here.

Well, of course he knew: Potter was here. And Draco found he didn't want to part from the messy hair and easy smile just yet. Luckily Blaise was there with him sitting just... apparently not next to him. A quick scan of the room later, stuffed with chairs, tables and pillows in every color possible, he found the stray Slytherin smirking at something while talking to the twins, who shared similar mischievous grins. If someone asked Draco, he'd say the most bearable redheads were those twins alone. They had the brains to craft plans and most of the time not get caught.

As if sensing they were being watched, two pairs of brown eyes turned to meet his in an interested stare before the pair said something to Blaise, who looked over Draco and flashed one of his smiles, which made Draco grimace. Nothing good coming his way, then.

"Hey there Malfoy", one of them said while grinning widely and sitting down next to the chairs around him.

"Didn't ever think you'd turn out to be a good git", the other said before extending his hand to Draco, "Fred Weasley at your service."

"And George Weasley, not at your service. You can only bother Fred" George said with a grin at Fred's outraged expression.

"Draco Mafloy but I bet you already knew that", Draco drawled out in his usual way, leaning back on the chair and looking at them expectantly. He needn't wait for long.

"Listen", Fred said, leaning in to talk more privately.

"We've noticed this strange thing", George added, mirroring his twins movements.

"At the battle, it became apparent that you and Voldy didn't have the most conventional relationship."

"Care to tell why? It's bugging us enormously", they pressured him by showing puppy dog eyes.

Draco didn't really want to share his strange relationship with the late Dark Lord with known gossips of Hogwarts, but he gave in after they just kept on staring at him annoying the hell out of him.

"He liked how I didn't fear him and taught me, okay?" he snapped at them with more bite then maybe necessary.

The twins recoiled back a bit, but there were grins on their faces.

"That so.." Fred mused along, eyeing Draco like he was a fine specimen.

"You surprise us Malfoy - because we know you are a coward", George arraigned him with a smirk.

Draco shrugged a bit, avoiding his still sore arm: "It's a peculiar thing - even I don't know why that was."

Before the twins had time to question him, another voice joined the conversation.

"I actually know why, sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but it was kinda a hassle", Potter said with an abashed grin, "When I died" (Potter had told them what had happened earlier) "Dumbledore said when I asked that it was because Fate gave you her gift. Even he didn't know exactly why it was, but he suspected it was her wish to see you live and conquer death that had touched you when you disarmed Dumbledore."

"so Fate herself thought it was good to have me not fear  _him_?" Draco said slowly, tasting the words and almost falling to his thoughts when one of the twins distracted him with an uncomfortable question.

"But that's the thing: We saw you scared of him in the Great Hall! It just doesn't make sense!"

Draco tensed and his hands tightened to fists.

"I was not afraid of  _him_ ", he forced out, earning two sets of curious eyes to look at him, probably meaning no harm with their questions.

"Then what did you fear?" George asked, leaning closer again.

"Death?" Fred suggested eagerly.

"Let's just say that", Draco muttered wanting out of here,  _now_.

It was his luck Potter was there, because he had stiffened, too, and lured the twins away from asking distasteful questions, before he sat down next to Draco.

From out of nowhere, Granger and Weasley found themselves sitting on a love seat in front of Draco's chair with Longbottom and Luna in tow.

"Quite a party right?" weasel asked, grinning brightly, a bit more red than usual. He'd no doubt drank something more than water. Draco would have usually done so too, but tonight he wasn't in the mood and second of all, Madam Pomfrey would have killed him the next day in her insistent check up had he shown up with alcohol in his blood.

Better to live on..

"Very.. red", Draco drawled out and got an eyeroll from Granger, an enraged huff from weasel and Longbottom and Luna just grinned. He wouldn't look at Potter right now. The irritation had grown stronger the further on the day went and when looking from afar was safe, looking at the forbidden fruit so close was quite dangerous, best he accidentaly touches it.

They started going on about something but Draco spaced out once again, falling to his own thoughts, very messy right now. He didn't know what to think of many things. Perhaps he should just appreciate being alive and forget the rest. Some resisted being forgotten, though, as Potter touched his arm and made Draco look at him. The boy was smiling widely, as if suddenly remembering something. Draco looked at him expectantly.

"So?" the raven only asked, tilting his head a bit to the side looking positively.. kissable.

No.

Concentrate.

"What?" Draco asked, locking his face into cool interest.

Potter huffed a bit in mock offense, but smiling all the same.

"Why'd you deny saving Dobby so much? Don't like being a hero?"

 _That_ had Potter smiling so widely. Draco wanted to groan and before he knew, he did, making them all look at them now. Brilliant.

"Because I didn't do it for the right reasons", he explained painfully slow, "Yes, I don't like people dying around me, yes I'd rather save them, but not if _I'm_  in danger at the same time. True heroes save with little regard to their own lives, Potter. You should know. I just did it because it was  _easy_ ; Grabbed him to safety with me. Didn't take much, he's a scrawny little thing."

Potter had this amused grin on his face and his green eyes sparkled in laughter, making Draco feel like he'd said something funny - which he definitely didn't.

And then Potter laughed aloud and said: "You're such a git, Malfoy."

But it was not an insult; it was said in a good manner, like it was good he was a git.

This confused Draco very much.

But not as much as when Potter leaned in, still grinning and kissed him.

On the mouth.

In front of everyone.

Draco's eyes widened and Potter looked at them confused, before realizing his mistake and leaning back and looking like a scared squirrel.

They heard gasps all around, but Draco didn't look at them, he looked at Potter, lowering his eyelids a bit as he did.

"I-I", Potter tried to say something, blushing an adorable scarlet. Draco grinned at the sight contentedly.

"I didn't think you were willing to come out yet, Potter", he drawled, drawing all eyes to him, reclining leisurely in the armchair.

"You know, you should have just told me and I'd kissed you."

Draco looked at the deeper red that rose to compliment the green of Potter's eyes. He smiled and grabbed his neck, pulling those parted lips into an intimate kiss, much more dirty than Potter's had been.

Unwittingly, they both moaned into the kiss, having missed each other too much. Their tongues found each other as they moved even closer together, hands entangling in hair and pulling closer, ever closer, forgetting they were not alone.

"I do mind!" Granger suddenly exclaimed when Draco made Harry moan quite loudly before Draco released the boy's lips reluctantly, the yell reminding him they had annoying company.

Potter was flushed and gasping for air, embarrassed, he hid his face into Draco's shoulder. Not that he minded.

"I wouldn't want to see that aga-" Granger continued, frazzled and red and fidgeting, before her brown eyes flew open and she slammed her hand to her mouth, looking scandalized.

"Oh", Draco asked, interested and leaned further into them, seeing how her eyes sifted all over the room, not meeting his, "what ever could you mean, Granger? I was of the impression no one knew we knew each other until today?"

She opened and closed her mouth, turning redder by the second, more so when Harry spared a curious glance her way, abandoning Draco's shoulder.

Nothing like the usual bookworm, wise and surprisingly crafty Granger.

Finally, her brain caught up and she straightened her back, a determined gleam in her eyes and turned to the disturbed looking weasel by her side, promptly grabbing his face in her hands and kissing the redhead full on, earning a collective gasp from all around as well as a few wolf-whistles from the twins. Weasel's eyes grew wide open in surprise, but he didn't waste a second before kissing the girl properly, bot getting caught in the kiss that was started as a way out.

Well thought Granger, Draco applauded her in his mind and said: "Well... if you are allowed, then why not us?"

And he pulled Potter back to his hungry lips, graving for contact after so long. Potter followed suit after a bit of puzzlement and happiness of finally seeing his friends get it on.

"No, I meant, it Malfoy - I-I won't kiss anymore either", Granger gasped, seeing as they were getting too experimental again.

This time it was Potter who pulled away first, turning to look at his friend, scowling. Granger interpreted it rigth as she stuttered again.

"No! No Harry! I'm happy for you two... it's just.." and she blushed again, fidgeting even more. Draco's brows lifted as an impossible idea popped into his mind. Could she be.. aroused? From seeing them kiss? Such and abrupt thought....

"Don't worry Granger, we won't bother you unless you require it", he said with a wink and saw her blush and fidget even more. So it might've been that.

"It's not like I'm going to show Potter to you either. I think it's time we retire for the night", he said and got up, pulling Potter easily with him.

"Have fun lovebirds", he said to weasel and Granger behind his shoulder, who blushed and looked at each other bashfully.

Potter looked behind at his friends, obviously worried about them.

"Don't worry - Granger's there. She'll placate them to behave and not ask too many unnecessary questions", he comforted their Savior, who looked very distressed right now.

"But.. what if they..-"

"-Don't like me? Or that you're with me? Then they'll get used to it. But knowing how simple weasel is, I'd say he's not gonna be too bothered. Relax and do whatever you want for a change", Draco calmed his worry and tugged on the hand still in his.

"Like I said, we've unfinished business. Better get to it, don't you say?"

Potter relaxed and fixed him with a glare, that was all sorts of mischievous.

"'Only if you let me do you?' wasn't it? So how's it Mafloy? We've a deal?"

"No, Potter, you remember it wrong", Draco said grinning crookedly, "It was that 'only if you won't leave me, I'll do you'.."

Another glare that almost killed him. Good thing glares couldn't kill.

"You're remembering a wrong conversation", the boy huffed and snatched his hand back.

"How's it wrong when it happened? And I remember you  _begging_ me to fill you up.." Draco said right by Potter's ear, his nose brushing against dark messy locks that smelled fresh and heavenly. His hand clutched at a door knob that appeared on the hallway, leaving to their room.

Only.. Instead of the divan, there was a strange mixture between a divan and a bed next to the fire, looking comfy and nice - and just perfect.

Potter blushed as he glanced up at Draco as if asking was that his doing. He only shrugged in an answer.

"We both walked the length. Combined wishes it is", he said and went to sit by the fire, looking back to Potter from behind his back.

"You coming? Coward..?"

Irritation flashed by in green eyes and the raven marched forward, grabbed Draco forcefully by the shoulders and kissed him fiercely on the lips as they fell to the bedding, the latter chuckling amused and getting bites in response to that.

"Always such a biter", Draco chuckled at him and lifted Potter up by his dark mane. He looked perfect, cheeks pink in aggravation and embarrassment, green eyes glittering in fury and lust, mouth kissed and open.

"I wouldn't have to bite if you weren't such an infuriating git, Malfoy", Potter growled and grabbed him by the blonde hair, mirroring Draco's clutch in his.

Draco smirked and soon saw a similar one on Potter's face.

"No Dark Lords out to kill us anymore, is there?" he asked quietly, massaging the scalp in his hands a little as he did.

"No", Potter said and looked away briefly, "That's why I did that - kissed you. I was so relieved when he was not after us anymore, so glad we could be  _free_. I- I just did it. Because I could, you know?"

And the look on that face over Draco's was so pure and true he could only hold back the bite and smile his first warm smile at the Savior of theirs, Harry Potter, his annoying Potter.

"Oh, I know, Harry, I know", and he brought those lips to his in a more relaxed manner than before, languidly tasting what he now could, with no one coming out to damn them. Only.. Potter seemed to still have something on his mind, because he freed himself and looked down at Draco with a deep furrow in his brows.

"What.. what about your parents? You know I saw that-that how much you feared telling them.." Potter whispered and looked hurt and sad at the same time.

Draco stilled and sorted his thoughts first before saying, fingers combing through messy curls: "If  _he_ was okay with me having the hots on you, then so will my parents. Mother quite likes you and father.. is not the same as he once was. Besides, we can still get him an heir, so he'll be happy."

He chuckled at his words, thinking of his father's face when hearing about Potter and not finding it as scary anymore.

Potter crashed his merry mood, though, when he looked down at Draco eyes wide and rather.. perplexed.

"An heir!?" he squeked and looked troubled, "That's possible? Wait, are you  _proposing to me?_ _"_

Draco fell speechless and then proceeded to blush heavily, until they were both deep red and resembled Weasley's more than was desirable.

"I-I.. We're wizards, you know? Magic can do quite a many tricks.. Besides there's always blood adoption", Draco finally bit out rather uncomfortably.

This was not what he meant when bringing the topic up!!

"What about that proposal?" Potter-Harry, asked, looking quiet and a bit withdrawn.

"A promise sounds better to me", Draco said finally having composed himself somehow, "A promise to stay together. A proposal would be a tad too much don't you think? We're still at the base when 'we have common interests', after all."

Harry laughed at that and leaned down to peck his lips against Draco's.

"True that", he chuckled merrily, eyes dancing in mirth, "So what are we?"

"Why do I have answer all these questions? You say that!" Draco asked, exasperated and closed his eyes in mental pain.

"You are the brains of this duo, didn't we see that already", Potter said, trailing a finger on Draco's temple before knocking at it playfully.

"I guess.." he consented finally, huffing a bit, "I say we are.. Potter and Malfoy. An annoying brat and an insufferable git who somehow got together."

Harry's eyes glimmered at the words, but he laughed: "No, elaborate more."

"I don't hate you", he said and saw green eyes meet his more seriously.

"I don't hate you either; I quite like you actually. You're fun", Harry started and Draco followed his lead.

"I quite like you, too. You're annoying of course, but great to have around because you make me smile. I think I sorta love you", he confessed and tightened his grip on Potter's narrow hips. It was nerve wracking to actually voice the thought. his mind was buzzing with a strange feeling and his breath would hardly work as those green eyes warmed like the sun, shining down on him.

"I sorta love you, too, git. Even though you're infuriating most of the time. Thank you for risking your life for me", Harry said and kissed him briefly.

"Thank you for the same, as well as taking on a Dark Lord for me", Draco said craning his neck to peck those lips over his in a mirroring motion.

As his head hit the blanket, he saw how Harry's eyes were a darker shade and angry.

"I hate how he was with you", the boy spat out through gritted teeth.

"He was a strange being that is no more. He cared for me in his own way, teaching me so much more than anyone ever has - and he didn't kill me immediately. That's unheard of when talking about him."

Green eyes calmed down a little and Draco closed his and pulled the boy back down onto his lips.

"Enough of that; I missed you", he mumbled and worked his way through grinning lips to taste that tongue again and entwine his with it.

"So you're making me scream soon?" Harry asked mischievously and played with the buttons of Draco's shirt.

"Definitely. You remembered? Thought about me daily?"

"It was hard not to when I always had your galleon in my pocket, reminding me of all I could have once we were done."

"It's good we're here now then, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"So scream for me?"

**_"You have too make me"_ **

Shivers run down Draco when that hissing sounded right by his ear.

"What did you say?" he asked, breathless and hating the fact.

"You have to make me."

"Oh."

"What? What did you think it was?"

"Oh, no - just - you know - something more dirty."

"That wasn't dirty?"

"Not even close, Potter. can't you remember what  _I_ told you?"

He felt a shiver run down Harry sprawled over him, he flipped them over, moving closer on the backed side of the bed/divan.

"How I'd make you feel good?"

He kissed an earlobe and bit in gently, earning another shiver in response.

"Make you  _enthralled_ in me?"

"I think I already am", a quiet whisper stole the rest of the words from Draco as he took in their Savior, looking so vulnerable underneath him in the dim light of flames dancing in their skin as so many times before, when this was just bodies crashing together in need of release.

He smiled softly down at him.

"I think I might be a bit, too."

They kissed long, passionate but not in a hurry, they relished in the Time they now had - with no hurry anywhere, no one missing them, only themselves to fully get to know. In a way they hadn't yet.

It wasn't 'the same as always' - it was so much more.

To peel the layers away to reveal soft tanned skin, all for his lips and tingue as well as hands to explore, all the while feeling the increasing bite of chilly air on his own chest as more of his pale skin got revealed by Potter's eager hands.

The numerous gasps he elicited by biting, licking and rolling his tongue. All kinds of moans as rewards for different things he did.

Not to forget the hisses Harry made him do as his fingers brushed against something sweet in an innocuous way and green eyes grinned in victory every time he made Draco hiss or moan.

It almost made Draco encourage Harry to touch him more, if only every touch didn't send a jolt straight to his groin, ever hard and ready to do more then just agonize him.

If anything went by the flush all over Harry, he was quite ready to go along, too.

"You sure?" Draco asked after another battle of their tongues, pants filling the air as their eyes locked. He saw sudden mirth mixed with nervousness.

"You won't let me do you, so it's our only option isn't it?"

Draco groaned and hid his head on Potter's shoulder, earning a worried tension to fill the body earlier so compliant.

"if it's that important to you, I--I could, youknow? Letyoudome."

Potter dared to laugh a full belly laugh at that, making Draco almost slip out of bed - he would have, if Potter hadn't stopped him by pulling at his hair.

"I'm only teasing you, you insufferable git. Get on with it already", was said agains his lips and Draco met green eyes shining with belief and love, being too warm to look at. Only that he did, not daring to take his eyes away.

"Fast way or slow way?" he asked suddenly, having a sudden idea to make Potter wide-eyed.

Sure enough the coming victim of his whim frowned.

"Haven't we gone too slow already? Get on with it!"

Draco smirked in a way he knew Potter knew something was not adding up, before summoning his wand and casting a stretching and lubrication charms consecutively on Potter, whose eyes grew wide and stared at Draco in indignation.

He only grinned, enjoying the view.

"Getting on with it, as asked", he said and angled closer to the hole now glimmering and ready for him.

Potter swatted at his head, hard. Growling a little to make his point.

"Git", he ground out and pulled Draco, the git, into a searing kiss that unintentionally made his aching groing touch Harry and Draco moaned loud at the contact.

"You sure it'll fit?" Harry suddenly asked, nervous.

Draco shrugged with one hand and angled himself better to glide in.

"It  _should_ fit", he said unhelpfully and earned a scandalized look from the boy under him.

" _Should!!?"_  

"Mmnn. Should. Not like I've tried before", Draco said and kissed a furrowed brow reassuringly, earning another angry glare in return.

He moved slowly closer and nudged at the still tight entrance with his cock, groaning at the feeling even that made. Harry looked up at him with wide eyes.

"It feels that good?"

Draco wanted to groan again for different reasons.

"Yes, it  _does_ ", he bit out and smeared a bit of precum while fitting his length at the entrance, "Maybe I should really let you try this one day.." The rest was an inaudible mumble, but Harry's eyes widened in interest.

Draco couldn't really gouge it though, because his hips decided they had a mind of their own and made him tuck his hips little so the tip entered into Harry, whose eyes widened at the feel while Draco's eyes rolled to the back of his head.  _So tight..._

Slowly, not wanting to hurt him, Draco pushed further in and further out in a steady rhythm until he was fully sheathed inside, their bodies pressed close and limbs entagling while glimmering in sweat.

"Okay?" Draco groaned out, fighting the urge to rock his hips..

 

 

 

"Okay", Harry said, slowly getting used to the feel of.. something inside him. Well let's face it: of course he knew it was Draco, but even the mere thought sent butterflies down his stomach, making him rock his hips and his prick to seep out precum in a plea to cum..

Soo, he rather not think.

Even feeling was proving to be too much.

Or seeing.

Draco looked so different from so close up, sweat trickling down his temple and face contorted in a mixture of pleasure and pain, making Harry only stare, completely enthralled.

It wasn't really how it felt when something moved inside him, that just felt full, but all the other stuff in it, making him hot and bothered. Until Draco hit something inside him and Harry's eyes rolled to the back of his head in pleasure so complete he cried out in wonder.

"Made you scream", Draco said in between pants and pushes into Harry, hitting that spot repeatedly after finding it, making the pleasure rise like a tide and taking Harry within so easily it almost scared him.

"So you're not a liar", Harry ground out when Draco was pulling out, which made speaking easier, until he pushed in again, teasing this time as it was harsher than before.

Harry gasped again and caught a victorious grin on pale pink lips which he promptly caught.

The pace at which Draco thrust in and pulled out increased until it was downright fucking, making them both gasp in the brinks of release, going towards it together.

Harry lost control totally when long fingers found his leaking cock and caressed it in turn with the thrust. He came while moaning out in abandon, pure hot bliss taking him over.

He felt Draco come almost immediately after him, hot pulses filling him while the blonde rocked into him periodically, groans escaping his lips.

Finally, fully sated and content, they lay together on the bed, staring at the fire and relaxing in the after glow.

No matter if their own future held hardships or moments from both Hell and Heaven, he was sure that after they'd gone through, they'd survive those too. They had some great friends and family to guide them, after all.

 

Relaxed, happy, loved, warm.

 

It was all Harry could hope for in that moment.

 

"I finally caught you", he heard Draco murmur into his ear and laughed, turning a little look at a handsome sculpted face, eyes closed and on the verge of falling asleep.

 

"I think it was me who caught  _you_ , though", he said grinning widely and relished in the amused frown forming on Draco's forehead.

 

"Brat."

 

"Git."

 

" _I_ caught  _you_. Obviously!"

 

"No-- it was me!"

 

"Says who?"

 

  ........

 

  ........

 

 

 

> **_If it hurts you just a little_ **
> 
> **_then it heals you when it's done._ **
> 
> **_Disappointment is the anchor,_ **
> 
> **_Resolution is the Sun._ **
> 
> _\- Hurt, Killigrew_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I'm glad to hear your thoughts on this!
> 
> More so when it's kinda my only chance left...
> 
> Haha, thank you for bearing with me~~
> 
> Riza xx


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